Everywhere is the Anywhere of Someone
by Bellatrixbeauty
Summary: Cheshire isn't a normal girl. Not anymore. She's not sure she cares though. All she cares about is not stopping too long, because then she'll find herself. And that's terrifying. So no, you can't cure her. And no, she won't come willingly. Rex/OC
1. Chapter 1

**BB says: **Sorry fans of my D-Gray-man story! I have every intention of continuing it, but for some reason this Generator Rex story has been twisting around in my head. I mean, I don't usually watch Cartoon Network, but Generator Rex has caught my attention. I commend Man of Action ^^. Anyway, I will be updating my D. Gray-Man fanfic so be patient other fans. While you wait you should check out Generator Rex!

*random fan throws can of peas*…ow…

**Rating: **although the show is on Cartoon Network and is most likely PG, I'm bumping it up to Teen because Rex is like 16. And a guy. So censoring in this fanfic seems pointless. Teen for violence, language, and monkeys making innuendoes later.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex. Didn't I already tell you that? Look back at **BB says.** Man of Action rules! I also don't own _Alice in Wonderland. _That belongs to Lewis Carroll. Who also rules.

_"Cheshire-Cat," she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider._

_"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" _

_"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat._

_"I don't much care where-" said Alice._

_"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat. _

_"-So long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation._

_"Oh you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."_

_~Alice in Wonderland, _Lewis Carroll

A wisp of mist appeared off the side of a country road in rural, South Carolina. It appeared out of nowhere, twisting and spinning with a whim of its own, unaffected by the gathering breeze of late evening. It moved this way, then that, and finally just spun on an axis of its own. A few seconds after it first came into existence, it began to take a solid form.

Hair, long and platinum blond, was first to come, followed by a heart shaped face and skin the color of hot caramel coffee. Eyes opened, big and bright and shockingly blue. A slender neck leading into a sturdy figure clothed in a lavender sundress. Tan sandals. As her hands solidified, she pulled her purple hat and bag out of the air, put them on and dusted off her dress.

She hummed through her nose contentedly, this girl of sixteen, and swiveled her head to look up and down the road again, this time with eyes. "Hope I got it right this time," she grumbled, her voice not matching her sweet smile. "You can be so hard to find." Hearing a loud engine grinding up the road, a grin broadened on her open face.

"Ah. There you are." Lifting her dress to expose a smooth, tanned leg, she hooked out her thumb to hitchhike.

The motorist didn't slow in the least, roaring toward her at a speed that couldn't have been legal. The girl didn't even flinch, save to blow a mosquito out of her face.

As he was about to pass her, still going at least eighty, a hand shot out, grabbing her arm and dragging her onto the back of the bike.

"How do you do that?" She wrapped her arms around his waist, grin a smile once more.

"Do what?"

"Find me. No matter where I run, no matter how hard it is for even Providence to follow, you're always there." The grin came back. "Here, there, everywhere, yet not enough to think." The boy in front of her sighed. "That didn't make sense."

"And sense didn't make it either. Sense is such an overrated thing if it didn't make it." He didn't respond, and the girl clung to him tighter as he rounded a sharp turn.

"So where should we go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

"Don't really care."

"Then it doesn't matter, does it?"

"I jut want to get away."

"Everywhere is away from somewhere, Rex." They road into a small town consisting of a gas station, a diner, and several small stores. "Pie then. Let's get pie." The girl hoped off as he brought the bike back into his body. It had always fascinated her how he fit all those machines into his one self. Someday she would ask how he could stand the change, if it hurt to force his body into such shapes.

They sat at the counter, a lazy fan spinning above their heads and truckers watching them. An elderly waitress with big hair smiled at them, sauntering over with the grace of a woman half her age. They both ordered a slice of apple with a side of vanilla, although the girl took the chance to ask for sweet tea as well. "As sweet as a summer smile." The waitress looked mildly confused as she moved away from her grin. Sighing, the girl adjusted her hat and shook out the braids that sat on the back of her neck.

"How've ya been Rex? Having fun?"

"_Por supuesto _(of course). Punching nasties in the face never gets old. And I just keep getting more awesome, if I do say so myself." The girl tilted her head to the side. He was nervous; he talked fast when he was nervous. "There was this one that spat acid not too long ago. Really slow but quick on the draw. Gave me a few burns, but I walked it off like the man I am."

"Limping and whimpering."

"Hey!"

"That's the man you are." Rex narrowed his eyes. "Were you watching me?" The girl blinked, grinning. "I watch a lot of things. I see a lot, I hear a lot, I say too much." The grin was replaced by a soft smile as the waitress placed tea in front of her. "It's given me a certain amount of empathy."

"You could use that. At Providence, I mean. I've seen you work. You're too strong; eventually they'll find you and you know their motto-"

"_Cura, captura, o matanza _(Cure, capture or kill). Yes, yes. We all know big bad Providence could huff and puff us all off the map. They won't find me. They don't even know I exist."

"Yes, they do." The girl raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. "Really now?"

"You're known as Evo X. I was told to look out for you. They want you alive."

"Oh that sounds exciting! Maybe I should let them find me so-"

"Damn it! This isn't a game!" Rex slammed his hand on the countertop and the girl jumped a little. The waitress shot them a look and whispered something to the chef. "Do you know what they'll do if they find you? What they'll try to make _me _do to you?"

"Cure me?"

"They saw you at your worst, Cheshire. They could try to cure you and if you refuse-"

"You know I will." She grinned.

"Capture will be impossible. You're too much for them. So they'll try and take you out." Cheshire pouted, stirring her tea. "That seems unfair. I didn't even do anything all that wrong." Rex sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day, glaring at his pie. "You should come with me. Willingly. Maybe if I take you back to Providence and they see you're not interested in hurting anyone…"

"They'll do tests on me and cut me up and put me in jars." Her grin turned deadly, a crack appearing in her glass from where she was squeezing it. "Cheshire that's not-"

"Why doesn't she look like the others? Where do her powers come from? What are they? Who, what, when, where, why, why, why?" She felt her feet vanish, escaping. "I know scientists, doctors. I know people. Curious creatures with destructive natures. They won't except that I just am, I'm just me." Now her calves. She ignored it, lifting a forkful of pie to her lips. "They can explain you easily; there're records, tests, videos of you in action. It would require a little more experimental exploits to get into me. Into what I am. What I am turning into. What I've been." Rex grabbed her arm gently, spinning her on her stool to face him. He finally noticed that her legs were almost gone, and his eyes widened slightly.

"It doesn't have to be like that Cee. I would protect you." Her smile disappeared completely. The serious look was rare on her and strangely beautiful. "Yes. And who would protect you?"

"Doctor-"

"And her?"

"Si-"

"And him?" Rex looked down and away. All that was left were her arms, torso and head. "You can't run away forever."

"I'm not running away," her left arm disappeared. "I'm running towards. The future, to be exact." All that was left was her head. "Because I think I deserve one." With a flash of her grin, she was gone. Rex, growled a curse in Spanish and slammed money onto the counter. He could hear a Providence copter approaching but took comfort in the fact that she had gotten away again.

Nekane Warren had died six years ago. Half a year after the evo incident. It was sad really. Her father committed double murder suicide, they said, although her body was never found. They say he was coming undone months before. They saw locks and chains lying around the house, bolts on the outside of the girl's door. Her nails were found imbedded in the wood from were she had tried to claw her way out, and the windows were barred bullet proof glass. All of her toys had smiles drawn on with permanent marker and what she didn't draw on, she ripped the mouths wider. They say he had killed her before ever getting to his wife and that was why her body wasn't in the house. They said it wasn't the sickness that had killed her.

Nekane Warren changed six years ago. A week after the evo incident. The world was still paranoid. Still scared. Nekane Warren, daughter of a chief of medicine changed first, and with her, her father. Her black hair fell out and grew back white. Her brown eyes faded into blue. Her skin faded from smooth mocha into rough midnight black, fingers stretching and pointing into claws, a tail grew. Her ears fell off. New ones, fluffy and feline. This all happened in one week. Every morning she woke up screaming from a new pain, her mother weeping bitterly, her father horrified.

Dr. Warren sought the help of his colleagues. Plastic surgery was the answer, he said, the only way to fix this embarrassing problem was science. A week of poking and prodding. A week of stabbing. The week of slicing. Pain. Radioactivity. Daddy didn't care.

It all grew back barely a week later. She was healed and whole again. It didn't work. Nekane was put in her room. Locked away. Mommy read to her through a door. A slot was put in for food. She had always had her own bathroom anyway, connected to her room.

It was so lonely. There was no happiness. Unless she made smiles. There was no laughter. Except for her own. Mommy gave her books, but they didn't have pictures. She liked _Alice in Wonderland. _She liked the cat.

Months, weeks. She missed mommy's birthday. She got cake through the slot.

There was a funeral. For Nakane. Her parents told everyone she died of pneumonia.

Sometimes the walls would attack her and she would scream and cry and scratch the door but daddy would yell and mommy would cry louder than her and so she learned to be quiet. Nekane stayed quiet. And hidden. And when mommy was screaming no and daddy was shouting curse words and it all went quiet with the sound of a gun. Nekane stayed quiet. And when the locks started coming undone and the door swung open and there was daddy, crying and bloody and lifting a gun to her face. Nekane stayed quiet. But she wished long and hard and she looked him in the eyes and he shivered, fighting it, but the gun put itself to his head.

And Nekane faded. Cheshire smiled, because if she didn't, who would?

She faded in and out of life, into and out of stores and homes. She only took what she needed, because mommy always told her stealing was wrong. She could lift things without touching them, she could tear something apart into its barest molecules, and if she closed her eyes and imagined really, really hard, she could still remember her mommy's smile.

She stayed in empty hotel rooms, pushing herself to the limit and traveling further and further with her abilities. Her ears were hidden in hats, her tail hidden in skirts (although she wore shorts underneath). Eventually her skin returned to its normal color and texture. She wasn't sure why.

She traveled all over, learning customs and languages and people. By thirteen she could speak five languages and struggled through Hungarian. She had read Shakespeare and Sophocles and Homer and Euripides and Rostand.

She still hated math.

When a giant thing (they were called evos now) attacked the city she was in, she watched in awe as it destroyed building after building, its huge arms and torso dwarfing a tiny body with six legs. It roared in either pain or anger and rampaged, not caring who was hurt. People pushed past her screaming and clawing to get away. Cars were thrower, bullets were fired. Cheshire didn't move. Although the fourteen year old did take a picture.

A giant hand flew towards her. "Hey c_hica _(girl)! Watch out!" She ignored the voice, still gazing upwards. Watching as the giant appendage smashed her. Or where she had been.

The boy was tanned with dark hair and light brown eyes. Hispanic maybe. He was barely taller than her and possibly a little older. About fifteen. She took a picture of him too.

Cheshire walked over to him as he stood above what had been a monster. The shivering young woman accepted his jacket, tears in her eyes. She was naked except for the jacket "Thank you so much." He shrugged and modestly looked away from her bareness, blushing. "It's what I do." He turned and jumped three feet in the air. Cheshire was really close to him, this boy who was an evo like her but not like the others. She could sense it. She grinned.

"I'm Cheshire." The boy narrowed his eyes. "You were almost dead. What were you thinking?" Chesire shrugged, still grinning brightly. She was wearing a yellow sun dress and a straw hat, her bag slung over her shoulders. "The thoughts of a curious thinker."

"What?"

"You can call me Cee."

"…I'm Rex. And you're weirding me out." She lowered the watt of her grin, letting it smooth into a smirk. "Nice to meet you." People were running towards them. A man in a suit and a monkey with guns. She took another picture.

"Rex."

"Hey Six. Did you see me totally handle that evo? I was all like wham! Oh! You want some? Smash!"

"Yeah kid. Just remember to leave the monkey out of it next time, will ya?"

"Hey! Bait was a very important role in this operation." Six listened to something in his communicator. "Come on. We need to get back to Providence."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey _Chica, _I have to-" She had disappeared. A piece of paper floated by and for a reason Rex couldn't explain, it flew into his face and stayed there until he touched it.

_C ya l8r, amigo._


	2. Chapter 2

**BB says: **More chapters for you! Celebration! *total fail at dancing* that's why I'm a writer not a dancer.

**Rating:** Still Teen. Yup. Still.

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Generator Rex. Nope. Or _Alice in Wonderland. _Nope.

"_I can't go back to yesterday- because I was a different person then,"_

_~Lewis Carroll_

"You like her, don't you?" Rex jumped, looking at the strange young woman who had chosen to stalk him. How did she always…?

"What do you mean?" Cheshire sighed good naturedly, still smiling. "That gothic girl you saw at the beach. You. Like. Her." Rex looked away, staring at his ice cream. He had seen her repeatedly over the past year, and it really tripped him out how Cee could see right through him. How she always found him.

"I wasn't watching you. I happened to be there. It _was _spring break you know." She took a bite out of her ice cream, not even wincing at the sharp pain of sudden cold against her teeth. "Not all of us have to sneak out to enjoy the summer. It was amusing to watch you chase her all over the beach." Rex frowned. He was at the beach again, sans Noah and Bobo, in his swimming trunks. The girl next to him wore a loose, orange dress, a black bathing suit peeking out the top. She was barefoot, and wore a bandanna instead of the hats he had seen her in before.

"Who are you?"

"Cheshire. Or Cee."

"Not your name. Who are you? How do you know me?" Cheshire blinked at him, adjusting her orange dress over her outstretched legs. "Wouldn't you know if I knew you?" Rex's eyes dimmed. "Not really. I…lost my memory. I can't remember anything from a few years ago so…I mean if you know anything…"

"I don't. You can never go back to yesterday because that person is already gone for good." Rex shrugged. Her babbling was less creepy the more he heard it. It had a certain logic to it; he figured it was just her style to be cryptic. Besides, her skin had this strange, almost golden glow in the sun. It was…pretty.

"So anyway," Cheshire's grin regained its radiance. "This girl, Circe? She was cute." The distraction wasn't working. He was still trapped in the folds of his own mind. She punched him in the arm, making him yelp.

"Hey!"

"It's okay to talk to me about love you know. That friend of yours, the blonde?"

"…Noah?"

"Yummy. I would tap that. Totally. All over the place. In the kitchen. On the floor. In the car-"

"Woah! I get it!"

"I mean he could hit all the wal-"

"STOP! IT BURNS!" He screamed, but a big smile was on his face, laughter in his voice. Cheshire giggled, licking the melting ice cream off her fingers. He stopped laughing suddenly, and when she looked at him he blushed and looked away. She shrugged. Vanilla was her favorite flavor.

"Why do you follow me, Cee?"

"Because you're like me." Her smile became a small upturn of the lips. "Alone. Wandering. In control of what makes you different but not what makes you strange. Even with the greatest mastery of your abilities," she paused, looking out at the waves. Several surfers were swimming out, and little kids splashed in the shallow waters close to the sand. She and Rex sat just a few feet from the water. They had gone swimming earlier. "They wouldn't see it. All they would see is what you could be, not what you are." Rex closed his eyes against her words. "But I'm not like that. I'm not out of control." Cheshire raised an eyebrow. "Not like the others, I mean."

"It doesn't matter. If you're not one of _them_, 'normal', you're a danger. It's a sad fact that we have to live with. But, if it's any comfort, you're lucky," she grinned at him, blue eyes shimmering, white hair lifted in the warm breeze. He knew she had a tail, and could imagine it swishing in mischief behind her as she sat up on her bright, flowery towel. She leaned in close to his ear. "You can hide in plain sight."

"Hey chief! Coming to the beach wit out the monkey! What's up wit dat?" Rex looked up to see Bobo running towards him, Six and several of Providence's agents standing in front of an aircraft. "Sorry Bobo. I saw the chance and I took it. You weren't there."

"Whatever. Expect a Bobo bomb in your bed tonight." Rex sighed. sparing a glance to his side. As usual, Cee had disappeared, towel and all. Like she had never been there.

In Cheshire's opinion, there were three types of nanites. The deactivated nanites (the "normal" people) felt muggy and sleepy. There were angry nanites that buzzed like a hive, confused and aggressive. Even her own were relatively chaotic. And then there was Rex.

Meeting him, letting the feel of his nanites wash over her, was like nothing she had ever felt before. They were so tame, so in sync with his body it was like they were born a part of him. It was unsettling, so much so that she could feel him no matter how far from each other they were. She was in Paris and knew he was in San Francisco. He was in Nebraska when she was in Thailand. Her estimates of his location weren't precise, but she could close in on him enough to find him when he was alone. When the sluggy, muggy nanites of his "ninja nanny" and the slightly faster nanites of his monkey weren't with him. Alone.

Cheshire didn't know why she was drawn to him. Maybe even she believed what she'd said before; loneliness and power aren't strangers. Two lonely people could understand each other's pain.

Cheshire materialized somewhere in Canada, the weather warm but not hot enough for her swimsuit. Reaching into her bag, she changed into a blue sundress, slipping on girlish black shorts and shoes. Roaring met her ears from the distance and she wandered towards it, following deer trails.

Oh. Niagara Falls.

She watched it. The beauty of such a thing carved itself into her mind and soon. She lifted out her camera and snapped a few shots.

Cheshire had taught herself photography and, while she knew she wasn't very good, she knew enough to sneak into local schools and develop her film. She liked to commemorate her adventures. She learned that if she could see an image of where she wanted to go, it was easier to appear there.

Hoping to get a closer picture of the mist, she appeared on the ground closest to the falls, on the boardwalk. A wedding was taking place on the water, the couple grinning as the water splashed them in their matching ponchos and galoshes. The cake was next to Cheshire, chairs with white ribbons dancing in the wind and slapping at her legs. She snapped a photo of the wedding, a uninvited guest taking advantage of a photographic opportunity. The sun was setting, the mist formed a rainbow, the breeze was cool on her face.

Something was wrong.

Her eyes widened as her stomach lurched, the sudden appearance of aggressive nanites nearly sickening her. It happened in an instant. The wedding party was on the boat, laughing and holding each other. Then there were screams.

A large, mutated fish slammed into the hull, cracking it down the center. The guests clung to the railing as the boat swayed dangerously. The monster slammed into it again, completely tipping it over.

Into the water the people fell, screaming and yelling as they bobbed to the surface. Cheshire could see the large shadow of the evo just below them.

Well damn. How rude of it. Fish needed to learn their place.

The bride screamed as the evo brushed her leg, but before it could bite down, Cheshire had made up her mind to help.

With a jerk and a twist of her wrists, the entire wedding party was yanked out of the water by an invisible force, deposited roughly onto the tables. The groom slammed into the cake. The bride landed on who may have been her mother. Cheshire had to suppress a giggle. The evo, furious at the sudden lack of food, breached the surface. She tossed off her bag, ready for a fight.

It still looked like a fish. Gills, big eyes, a large, gapping mouth. But the tentacles and the tusks were new. As was the size. It was easily as big as the boat it had capsized.

A tentacle lashed forward, aiming at a party guest, and Cheshire pulled up the tables (dumping a few people) as a makeshift shield. After ramming into the tables a few times and realizing Cheshire was uncovered, the evo's tentacles wrapped around her body, bashing her head on the boardwalk and dragging her into the water.

Knowing she would need the air, the girl stopped herself from screaming.

Underwater was the evo's domain, and if Cheshire hadn't thought it was a big dumb fish that got too uppity, she would've believed it knew its upper hand.

Tentacles flew at her from everywhere, lashing her body, cutting deep and dizzying her. Cheshire could barely get her bearings before one would slice across her face or slam her into one of the legs of the boardwalk. The air rushed out of her lungs in a slew of bubbles, and she was too tired to even think of using her ability under water. After lifting all those people and furniture, she was beat.

Or so she thought.

Big dumb fish were easy to confuse.

She launched herself off the legs of the boardwalk, vision going dim at the edges from lack of oxygen. The evo obviously wasn't expecting her to charge it, and missed with the tentacle aimed at her. Taking her chance, Cheshire latched on and held tight to the appendage, the evo accidentally shooting her out of the water. Drawing the last dregs of her strength, she lifted herself and the mast of the ship into the air, grinning.

"You can't beat a cat, you dumb fish." The evo came after her, leaping out of the water with its mouth open. She plunged the mast deep into its throat, killing it.

Completely drained, Cheshire was left to plummet to the ground, landing amidst the wedding guests. She opened her eyes blearily, painfully dragging herself to her feet.

In the chaos she had lost her hat. Her dress was ripped severely, revealing the tail she usually kept wrapped around her upper thigh. The strain of her abilities had made her skin turn black once more, and her claws had unsheathed themselves, her blood mingling with the water as it fell from her body.

Cheshire imagined she looked like a fright, soaking and bleeding and not looking very human at the moment. The people surrounding her all looked terrified. "Don't worry," she announced into the deadly silent crowd, "I'm not hungry. So I won't eat cha…today." She made her way over to her bag, laying forgotten on the edge of the boardwalk. The crowd formed a tunnel to let her by. Her camera and change of clothes were soaked, and she realized, with a grin, that she could've just stayed in her bathing suit.

Something hit her on the back of the head. Looking down, she realized it was a little white shoe.

The bride was glaring at her, tears in her eyes and her dress ruined. The groom held her tight, adding his hate to hers. "Hurry up and go, evo," he spat. "Haven't you done enough today?" Cheshire grinned widely, narrowing her eyes. Her tail swished in agitation. "I'm sorry. Am I the only one who thought a reception in the guts of a giant fish was unappealing?" There were more glares and murmurings of confusion in the crowd. Everyone was too disoriented and scared to see that Cheshire was fighting, not helping the other evo. All they knew was that this happy day was ruined and they were glaring at the best possible scapegoat. Glasses, plates, and shoes came flying at her.

A deeply driven nugget of sadness was within Cheshire, but she smothered it with maniacal giggles. "Yes. Hate me. Hate me because I saved your pathetic lives!" She disappeared, floating for what felt like an eternity before crashing down upon a mattress. She registered the fact she wasn't alone just as she lost consciousness.

"What the…? Cee?"


	3. Chapter 3

BB says: **I saw this HUGE spider. It caught me by surprise and I jumped, squealing a bit. Normally I like big spiders (easier to see and avoid them) and this was just a daddy long legs. Don't those have tiny mouths? Random, I know. But it was a BIG** daddy long legs.

**Rating: **Teen.

**Disclaimer:** Generator Rex belongs to Man of Action. At least the version I'm using does. Apparently there's a comic book it's based on called _M. Rex. _But Rex is only like twelve in it.

_Alice in Wonderland _belongs to Lewis Carroll. Not me. Sadness.

"_Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle._"

~_Lewis Carroll_

Cheshire couldn't have been unconscious more than a moment or so.

She grunted, body stiff as feeling slowly returned. It was mostly pain, which was then combined with the discomfort of wet clothes and hair. There was a blanket matted up beneath her, a pillow under her feet. If she had the strength she would've grinned; she'd landed in a bed upside down.

"Cee? Hey, _chica_, you alive?" Cheshire grunted in response, opening her eyes a crack. Rex stood over her, eyes uncertain and worried. He was in flannel pants and a cotton shirt. She must have caught him getting ready for bed. "Hey Rex." His brows folded together. "'Hey'? Is that all you have to say to me?"

"No. What time is it?" Rex made a little choking sound in the back of his throat, trying not to continue what was a pointless argument. Besides, Cee was looking rather ill behind the telltale grin ghosting back onto her face.

The female evo looked like she had gotten into a water fight with a jungle cat and lost, multiple wounds bleeding through her soaked, shredded dress. Her shoes were gone, her tail and hair were matted, and her skin was a strange black color, although splotches of the usual brown were reappearing. She was breathing roughly and looked like she could've slept for about a year. For the first time since Rex known her, Cheshire looked beaten, lost.

Cheshire grunted as she sat up and Rex put his hands on her shoulders. "Just lie still Cee. I'll call Doctor Holiday." At the word "doctor", Cheshire sat up stiff as a board, fighting Rex's hands. Rex was barely able to say "Holiday" before she tackled him, pinning him to the ground.

"No, doctors," she hissed into his face weakly. Rex was less than intimidated. Bigger things had pinned him before. And _they_ weren't shivering from cold and exhaustion. "No? Then what do you suggest? You know you're bleeding, right?" Cheshire shook her head defiantly, crossing her arms and pouting. She tasted blood in her mouth but swallowed it. "I'm fine. I heal fast."

"Whatever. But you should let-" Cheshire let out a very low, very feline, hiss, digging her nails into his arms. "Fine! Just get off me _muchacha loca _(crazy girl)!"

As she rolled off, she felt a broken rib shift. Or was it two? In either case, Rex had to help her back to her feet as she keeled over with a gasp. "Would you at least lie down? You are so _not _okay." Cheshire shook her head, a wince and a smile mingling. She licked her cracked lips.

"Can I use your shower? I don't have the strength to leave right now. I'll leave right after." Rex was a bit confused by the change of subject, but felt a pang of pity in the center of his chest. She looked so unbelievably exhausted. He wanted to ask her what happened, but he was afraid of the answer.

He suddenly remembered his run in with a crazy man named Cain. The nut had hated evos so much he came after Rex personally, and Rex realized that there were more like him out there. And Cheshire wouldn't know better. She would do something careless, become a target and then they would confuse her for a monster. They may even try to kill her. He hadn't seen the extent to her abilities yet, but if they cornered her, hurt her badly before she had a chance to mist away…

He hoped she hadn't had to face that.

"I guess…you could stay the night after your shower. I don't share a room with Bobo anymore and you could have the bed." Cheshire shook her head. "Thanks but no. Got places to be, people to see."

A lie. The only place she had to be was home, somewhere safe for her to lick her wounds and heal. She didn't want to stay. Because if less friendly Providence agents found her and trapped her and she would be alone and hurting and no one would save her.

Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no.

Cheshire had to leave.

She tried and tried, focusing on anyplace, anywhere, to no avail.

She sank to the floor, leaning on the wall and resting her forehead on her knees as panic rose in her chest. She was breathing heavily, the shower slowly turning cold as seconds grew into minutes.

"Cee? Are you okay?" Breathe. Breathe. She was holding herself together too hard, her fingernails breaking the skin. Trapped. Stopped. Cornered.

"Cee? Cee!" Rex's panic was blatant in his voice. He probably thought she'd drowned.

Slowly, the panic went back to its cave in the back of her being, throbbing like a sore. She forced a grin so big it hurt her cheeks. Smile because who else will?

"Hey. Can I borrow some pjs?" She heard Rex startle on the other side of the door. She heard his hand slide down the frame. "S-sure."

Rex averted his eyes as she left the bathroom (such modesty! She wasn't naked. She was wearing a towel and underwear.) and tossed her a shirt and pants. They were huge on her.

Cheshire curled into a ball and watched Rex shift on his feet nervously. "What? Never had a sleepover before?" She hadn't either, but taunting him always brought a gloriously flustered (and somewhat angry) look to his face.

"No! Well, yeah but…that's not…I mean…" He trailed off, walking over to the bed slowly. She realized he was afraid to startle her and the thought gave her smile more strength.

Cheshire moved so Rex could grab a pillow. "You can keep the blanket. It's not cold." He shook his head. "I'm not the one who looks like she fell into a lake."

"I did."

"Then you need the blanket. Just give me one of the sheets."

Cheshire closed her eyes, pulling the blanket up to her chin and rolling over instead of arguing more. She heard Rex turn off the light and settle on the ground next to her. For a few minutes, there was only breathing.

"Rex?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking about what you said. About not being able to remember your past?" She heard him roll over in the darkness.

"Yeah?"

"It's okay that you don't remember who you were. It's okay if you don't know who you are now. Everyone is an impossible puzzle." Cheshire thought about her day. The evo. The hatred. She hated them for hating her but was so happy they hadn't all died. "I can't figure myself out either." Rex chuckled dryly and she heard him slide his arms beneath his head.

"So you're just as lost as me?" Cheshire grinned. "If not more so. You would do anything to remember; I'm grateful for every memory I forget." Rex didn't ask what she meant.

"Hey, Rex?"

"Yeah?"

"I was never here."

"Nope."

Rex's bed was empty the next day, all of Cee's belongings disappearing with her. She had taken her borrowed clothes too. Damn. He liked those pjs.

She reappeared not long after.

A week later, as Rex played basketball with Noah, mist gathered and solidified on top of the hoop. Cheshire caught one of Noah's perfect shots, grinning down at the boys indulgently. She wore a new, forest green dress, a new camera hanging around her neck. She felt guilty; this camera, like the last, had cost two hundred dollars. And she had stolen them both.

"Hey. What's up?" She spun the ball on her finger. Rex recovered fastest because he was used to her. "Hey Cheshire. Toss the ball back." She kept grinning and complied, sliding down the hoop's pole once her hands were empty.

"Rex, who is-"

"Cheshire. But you can call me Cee."

"What she said." Noah blinked at the offered hand before accepting. "And you're-"

"An evo, yes." Noah gave her a small and friendly smile. "Do you work for Providence too? I've never heard your name mentioned." Rex scoffed. "Don't use the p-word man. She'll disappear again." Cee stuck her tongue at her fellow evo before turning back to Noah, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

Or who was about to.

The poor blonde got a sudden chill under the beaming smile. He edged closer to Rex. "Why is she looking at me like that?" Rex shrugged, edging away like Noah had cooties. Whatever Cee was plotting, he wanted no part.

Cheshire cocked her head to the side, smile becoming a smirk. Noah was so cute. Like a puppy and a kitten playing with tassels in a room filled with bunnies. "Hey. Noah."

She pounced as he looked up, locking their lips together.

Muggy, foggy nanites. The faintest smell of vanilla and water. Soft lips that were too shocked to respond. A strong body on a thin frame. Cheshire heard the ball fall from Rex's hands in shock as she pulled away, licking her lips. Yep. That was some canary.

But there was no flavor. No spice. No spark.

Rex yanked her away from the startled and very frozen Noah. "What was that?" he growled, gesturing at his paralyzed friend. Cheshire licked her lips again. "I was tasting him." Rex crinkled his brow, lip twitching. "What?"

"If I didn't try him before I pursued him, how would I know I liked him? What if we got together and it turned out he didn't feel right? All that effort would be for nothing!" Rex pinched the bridge of his nose. Cheshire honestly didn't know why he was so upset. It wasn't like she had kissed _him._

"Cee, you can't just go around kissing people. You're too pretty to just give stuff away like that. You'll be give people the wrong idea. Besides," Rex crossed his arms with authority, an ironic position for him to be in. "He has a girlfriend." Cheshire blinked. "Really?"

"Really. So no more kissing Noah. Or anyone else. Without permission first, I guess." There it was. That flustered look creeping along the edges of his face as he averted his eyes from her.

"…let me try one more time."

"What?" He reached out to stop her but she dodged, pinning her lips to Noah's again.

He was still frozen from the last time, and this time she was pretty sure he stopped breathing. She hoped off him and away before Rex could pull her off. She was right. Too much sweet, not enough spice. Although the subtle undercurrent of bitter made it interesting. She wasn't needed here.

"Bye guys!" She vanished before they could say anything more.

The blacktop was silent. The ball lay at the edge, forgotten as a breeze blew through the court. Noah twitched. All Rex could do was rub his face in confusion and irritation.

Noah blinked once.

Twice.

Tried to erase the soft press of the sweet smelling girl against him. "What was that?" Rex peered out behind his hand before sighing and going after the ball. "That was Cheshire." Noah caught the ball as Rex threw it to him, but didn't move beyond that. "And did she just…?" Rex scratched the back of his head, suddenly frustrated and angry for no reason. "Yeah man. You just got lip molested."

"Oh." Noah launched a shot from half court. Rex was surprised when it missed. "Was I out of it or did I hear you call her pretty?"

"…no."

"What? She _was_ pretty. Strange, but pret-"

"No. Let it go. Seriously." Rex scooped up the ball roughly. The uncomfortable mix of feelings still throbbed at the back of his head and throat. He suddenly wanted to pop the ball with B.F.S and leave.

Damn random crazy girl.

"Circe and Cheshire, huh? I'm starting to think you like the dominatrix type."

"Fuck you dude."

Cheshire appeared at her home.

At the southwest corner of Oregon, near the border of California, lived a 3,000 year old Sequoia tree. It had been hollowed out centuries before, but lay forgotten for decades.

After the evo incident, a mutated squirrel moved in and terrorized the other animals for a few months.

Until a powerful and lost little girl killed it.

And now it was Cheshire's.

It was the perfect corner of the world to store her things, far enough from society that she didn't have the fear of being discovered.

It was here that she kept her various souvenirs from past journeys; her clothes, her food, her pictures. A simple bed made of a mattress, a blanket and many, many pillows. Abandoned stuffed animals, a bike she fixed, a kite, her rock collection, rain catching devices, a solar powered radio. Over the years, slowly and painfully, She had created her own life where no life existed.

Cheshire sighed and stretched, turning on her radio and flopping onto her bed. From her position, she could see all of the pictures that hung suspended from her ceiling. The radio crooned gently.

All across the world, people hurt. She saw it on the news, saw it in their faces, and sometimes felt it in the air. Part of what she did, part of the job she made herself do was to help those who were lost. Who were so desperately trapped within themselves they didn't know what to do anymore.

Cheshire wasn't a psychiatrist, and she wasn't the wisest person to ever walk the earth. But when she came upon someone she thought needed her, she thought her affections could help, she couldn't let them pass by.

When she kissed Noah, she didn't feel the need she had felt from others. The desire to be understood and supported. He was no more in need than the average teenager, although his life was somewhat more eventful with Rex as a friend. He would be expecting more than the chaste kisses, held hands, and hugs of her other relationships. He wouldn't _need _her. He would _want _her. And he would want more than support; he would want love.

And Cheshire didn't have any.

Cheshire let her smile melt away. She stared blankly at the pictures above.

No, no. Cheshire was a mean little kitty who didn't love anyone.

Not even herself.


	4. Chapter 4

BB says: **thank you all my wonderful fans. I love you guys too! Except you. Yeah you. Get out. XP. Lol. **

**Rating**: Teen. For cussin' and such.

**Disclaimer**: Generator Rex doesn't not belong to this girl. Nor does _Alice in Wonderland. _I do have a giant yellow teddy bear I named La Fromage (the cheese).

"_When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean-neither more nor less,"_

_~Lewis Carroll_

A year later. Cheshire was sixteen going on seventeen. Rex was seventeen going on…who knew? Not even him.

His warning about Providence hadn't fallen on deaf ears like he feared. Cheshire heard him, but didn't know how to fix it. Herself. Anything. She knew she could in fact run forever -she'd been doing fine so far- but the thought of them trying to use Rex against her was irksome to say the least. It wasn't his fault, and it made her feel…guilty? Hurt because she may be hurting him in a way she didn't understand.

She shook her head as she wandered through Hollywood. She remembered, once upon a time, when a girl she barely recognized wanted to be a star. She wanted the fame, the talent, the love of millions. Now all Cheshire wanted was the become invisible; so ultimately undetectable that she could move through people, places, without being registered.

She faded. Reappeared in Phoenix, Arizona. No good. People still saw her, still realized there was a girl with white hair and a camera walking down the roads.

She couldn't fade for good. Maybe that's why Providence had spotted her. Seen her in "action." Because she couldn't make herself invisible. No matter how many times she vanished, she would always come back.

Cheshire was too lost in thought. She didn't see people running past, didn't feel them shove her.

She was blindsided.

Her eyes flickered as she struggled to catch her breath. She had been slammed through two cars, a streetlight forcing an end to her momentum. Blood dripped down a busted lip and her shoulder throbbed. She winced as she forced it back into joint. Her leg may have been broken. She couldn't stand. Something inside her was ruptured and bleeding. Her hat was gone, her bag digging into her back.

She lifted herself into the air, taking the pressure off her body and gazing at the evo from above. It was a pale grey, with no eyes or nose but a huge, drooling mouth. It stood on two massive hind legs, tiny forelegs waving in the air. A long, powerful tail topped with a barbed ball swung through the air.

The sightless face roared up at her. Cheshire threw the streetlamp at it. The evo caught it in its razor teeth and snapped it in half.

Landing on a rooftop, Cheshire attempted to smash the creature between two cars. The thing leapt into the air, surprising her, and landed on the roof behind her. A long, slimy tongue darted out, wrapping around her body. Cheshire dug her feet into the ground, fighting, but the tongue was powerful and large, covering her entire torso and crushing her. Whatever was bleeding inside her was worse now. She could feel it, and the pain was making her dizzy.

She had to…disappear…she had to…leave…she…fade

Her thoughts stopped making sense. She was so close she could smell the evo's breath.

Wind rushed past her as the evo's tongue was suddenly cleaved in half. It roared in pain. Cheshire opened her eyes a crack. A man in a green suit was carrying her, soldiers in black and grey shooting at the evo. Ninja? "Are you," Cheshire's voice was a whispered pant "an elf?" She smiled weakly. The man raised an eyebrow behind the dark shades hiding his eyes, and Cheshire felt blood climbing up her throat. The man pressed his finger into his ear. "Yes. I copy." He was silent. Cheshire suddenly recognized the soldiers.

Fuck. Providence.

And she couldn't move.

"That's an order?" Silence. "Understood." Something was happening. The gun shots stopped. She heard Rex's voice saying something to what was an evo. An exclamation. Footsteps rushing forward. He must have noticed her.

"Is she okay? Cee! You're gonna be alright. It's okay. We'll take care of you." Rex wasn't sure, but just as she lost consciousness, he though he heard Cee whisper.

"Liar."

"He can't do this! She's not dangerous. We can't just treat her like a criminal!"

"Rex please-"

"No! The _hole?_ Seriously? She's not some out of control monster like-"

"My sister?" Holiday's look shut Rex up. She cleared her throat. It was painful to think of her sister trapped down there. In that dark, little room knowing that freedom was stolen from her. Rex looked at the ground, clenching his fists. "I'm just saying. You don't understand her. She needs freedom. Air. Keeping her locked up isn't good for her."

"Our orders were to capture Evo X for study. Orders are orders." Rex glared at Six. He was finally catching up to the taller man's height, but it was still stressful to look the mysterious agent in the eyes. "Her _name_ is Cheshire. And I don't give a fuck about orders."

"You have to control yourself Rex," Holiday placed a soothing hand on his arm, relieved when he didn't shake it off. "Anger won't get you anywhere with the White Knight." Rex snarled a vicious insult directed at the man in white before the doors slid open.

The room was sterile, no color save for the three people who just entered. The screen before them, taking up the entirety of the wall, flicked to life as the chief of operations glared down at his subordinates. "What information do you have on the subject, Dr. Holiday?" Holiday flipped through her clipboard. "She's stabilized. We were able to stop the internal bleeding before irreversible damage was done and her leg is healing well. And rather quickly"

"And the anesthetic? Is she neutralized?"

Holiday's eyebrows lowered a bit. "The word neutralized suggests that Cheshire was a danger in the first place." White narrowed his eyes. "Who is Cheshire?"

"Evo X's name, sir." Rex looked at Six in surprise. The older man showed no emotion. "Upon study," Holiday continued "I have come to the conclusion that Cheshire is no danger and perhaps we overreacted to her latent abilities."

"Know this, Doctor, Providence does not 'overreact.' Have you forgotten what Evo X is capable of?"

"That's not fair!" Rex said, stepping forward. "She saved hundreds of lives! She's a hero and you're treating her like she could go nuclear." A slight twitch appeared on White's face, undetectable on the screen. "Special agent Rex. Evo X's involvement with the case caused unnecessary damage to property and disrupted Providence's mission. Her abilities are untamed at best and she uses them with no conscience. She is a danger." "She's never hurt anyone! You just don't like the fact that there's someone like her that you can't control."

"You seemed attached to an evo you're barely known twenty-four hours. Care to tell us how you know so much about Evo X?" The room was silent. Rex was biting his lip and trying not to scream at White. "You don't know what you're doing to her," his voice held silent rage. "She doesn't deserve this." He turned on his heel and left the room.

"You okay chief?" Bobo caught up to Rex as he stomped down the hall. "No. I'm not."

"You want me to come?"

"No. Sorry Bobo." The monkey shrugged. "It's cool."

The Hole was the deepest, darkest pit in Providence. A hidden building in the depths of the zoo, the Hole housed the most vicious, incurable evos Providence had ever managed to capture, including Dr. Holiday's sister. It was locked on the inside and out, each creature placed into their own holding pen until a way was found to cure them.

Rex shuddered.

They had shut Cheshire in a room. With no windows.

It was easy enough to hack into the Hole' security system's, and Rex entered with no trouble. He took only moment to say hi to Holiday's sister, and the spider-like woman hissed at him. They had had a run in before.

Cheshire had a padded room, with cushions covering the walls, ceiling and floor. All white, like an insane asylum. She was laying on a white hospital bed wearing a white gown, her white hair messy atop her brown face. An I.V. drip pumped her full of the anesthesia White had spoken of, and she didn't even flinch as Rex hacked into the locks on her room.

He thought, for a moment, of just grabbing her and running. Grant her freedom with no one the wiser. But it wouldn't be true freedom. She would still be wanted, still hunted.

Rex locked the door behind himself and sat on the edge of Cheshire's bed. Her eyes opened slowly in response to the sudden weight.

"Rex?" Her voice was hoarse, deep hollows under her dimmed eyes. Her lips didn't even attempt to curve into her usual smile, and the hand that tried to touch him only made it as far as his arm. "Where…? It's really white in here." Rex smiled humorlessly. "Yeah. It is." Cheshire closed her eyes. "I'm at Providence." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." The edges of her body were fuzzy for a few seconds before solidifying again. She tried once more, struggling to fade away.

"I-I can't. I can't leave?" she whispered, her hurt evident in her voice. "I can't…in a room…" she was breathing fast and hard, and Rex was afraid she was starting to hyperventilate. "No. I'll get you out. It'll be alright. You'll be okay."

"No, no, no. I have to leave. I have to go. I can't…a room…" Tears gathered in her eyes, her hands crumpling the sheets. "Cee, it's gonna be alright." She turned away from him, pulling her knees to her chest. "Why can't I leave? They won't let me leave. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I am…" Rex thought she said the word "daddy" but she clamped her eyes shut, sealing herself away. Rex reached for her, but froze when the door opened behind him.

"This place is off limits." Rex smiled half-heartedly. "Since when has that ever mattered to me?" Six raised an eyebrow, not leaving the doorway. "That is how I knew where to find you." Rex somehow managed to pull himself off the bed, casting one more forlorn look at Cheshire. She was mumbling and may have been falling asleep.

"I know I can be a bit wild sometimes. But…she can't stay here Six. This room is gonna kill her." Six turned and Rex followed, the door closing behind him. "I know." Rex's head shot up. "You know?"

"You know each other. And you've gotten attached." Rex stiffened. "It doesn't matter. I gonna to get her out of here."

"You said that already."

"And I meant it." Six closed the doorway into the hole.

"I'll talk to White." Rex smiled. "You rule Six."

They came to feed her. Cheshire was feeling much better. Not as much pain, and she actually felt what had been a broken leg working again. Her body had developed a resistance to whatever they had in the bag hooked into her.

She lunged forward, kicking one in the stomach landing a punch in the face of the other. She wove around the third, striking him in the back of the neck.

A whimper called her attention and she turned off her direct path. The red eyed evo gazed at her sadly, using its huge forearms to cling to the walls. Cheshire blinked at…her? Yes. It was female. "I'm sorry. I…can't let you out. You can't control yourself right?" The evo blinked, a black, clawed hand tapping gently at the window Cheshire peered through. "Wouldn't it be awful if they cure you, and you had hurt someone? How would you feel?" A whimper grew into a long, enraged keen. "I know. I'm sorry."

Cheshire scampered to the outer door. She was still too weak to teleport far, but made it to the other side without incident. She was dizzy when she reappeared and stumbled a bit.

And then she was running, tripping. It was dark in the zoo, and she couldn't see two feet in front or her. She sensed nanites all around her, crazy, raging, and she tried her best to avoid these fountains of chaos. She fell into a puddle of mud and stones, paws suddenly stomping behind her.

Cheshire panicked, managing the faze into a nearby tree, mewling pathetically as she jostled her injuries. They were healing quickly, but still pained her. She grinned. She felt goofy, like those old black and white movies. The criminal would try to escape prison, only for many mishaps and coincidences to delay them.

As she leaned back, trying to catch her breath, the branch was shot out from under her. Cheshire landed on her feet, running, but stopped at the sound of guns being trained on her. "Evo X. This is Providence. You are surrounded. Surrender." Cheshire focused, but couldn't disappear. She couldn't leave.

Frustrated and somewhat frightened, she lashed out, snatching the guns from their masters too fast for the men to register. "What is she…?" The weapons disintegrated, dissolving into a useless mush of metal and molecules. With a grunt of effort, Cheshire lifted the men into the air and out of her way, attempting to make a run for it.

Cold steel stopped her in her tracks. "Drop them, Cheshire." The voice, as cool as the weapon, was familiar. "Elf man?" The soldiers fell to the ground, littering the air with yells and moans of pain. Six didn't removed his katana from the girl's throat. "Come with me." Cheshire cocked her head to the side, grin glowing in the dark. "Is that a suggestion or a demand?"

The halls of Providence were bright and white, much like her room. Cheshire was beginning to see a pattern. "You can drop your weapons. I don't plan on running. Although I will disappear when I get my strength back." Six thought for a brief moment, trying to read her eyes. It was impossible. Her true emotions -true intentions- were buried. He re-sheathed his blades. He would catch her even if she ran; she was still limping slightly and her body shagged wearily.

"Rex likes you," Cheshire hummed "so you must be trust worthy. Is it not so, Mr. Elf? Aren't you a nice guy?" Six frowned deeply.

"I am Agent Six." "I know. But Mr. Elf holds so much more character. What's in a name but all that a man is worth?" Six felt a headache coming on. "Rex."

"'Sup Six?"

"Meeting with White."

"Now?"

"Now." Rex sighed. He really didn't like the bastard behind the screen right now. "Fine."

Six was silent the rest of the way, Cheshire smiling. She was still in Providence but she had escaped her room. Progress, however little, was progress.

Cheshire looked around their destination, the only feature being the large screen at the end. And a woman in a lab coat smiling at her.

Cheshire screamed.

Six wrapped his arms around her waist before she could run. "No! No! You can't! Please! No!" The woman was approaching and Cheshire flailed wildly. Through some miracle Six kept his glasses. "Please calm down Cheshire. We're not going to hurt you."

"Liar! Liar! LIAR!"

"Back away Holiday! I have to get her under control!"

"Cee?" Cheshire stopped struggling almost immediately, biting her lip as she craned her head to look at Rex. The boy was surprised to see her. "Don't let her touch me, Rex. Help." Her voice was surprisingly calm for the cornered look in her eyes. Rex stepped forward slowly. "She's not going to hurt you. I told you about her before, remember? Dr. Holiday's cool. She's the one that took care of you when you were hurt." Cheshire blinked, relaxing a bit more. She shot another glance at Holiday, who had stopped a few feet away. "She's…the lady doctor? The one you told me about before?"

"Yes."

"Let me go, Mr. Elf. Leave the door open. Don't let her by me." Six didn't hesitate. Cheshire had proved herself trustworthy if not a little mentally unstable. He had the impression she could do more harm to herself than others. Cheshire ran over to Rex and hid behind him, still glancing at Holiday wearily.

"You don't have to trust me, Cheshire," the girl stiffened at the sound of the doctor's voice. It was calm, caring.

"_When you wake up, everything will be okay Nekane."_

"But I want to help." Cheshire hissed, gripping the back of Rex's shirt. "Ow, Cee. Claws." She retracted them. Just a little.

The screen flickered to life. White's eyes strayed to the (poorly) hidden Cheshire. "I see you chose to bring Evo X to the meeting." Six straightened his glasses. Cheshire had somehow managed to hit him in the eye without knocking them off his face. "I believe it is vital that Cheshire know her fate." Fate? Cheshire stood up from where she was crouching behind Rex, glaring at the man in white.

"Hey bleach addict. Are you in charge?" She asked rudely, smiling pleasantly. "I don't like that name. Evo X. I prefer Cheshire. Or maybe Super Evo. I've decided that Evo X is too distant."

White frowned at her. "I'm afraid you do not get a say in this, Evo X. You are merely a witness to your own judgment."

"Like fuck. Come out from behind that screen and taste my fist." The smile grew dark. Rex coughed, attempting to cover a laugh at the confused anger on White's face.

"What did you just say to-"

"I believe Evo X would be an asset to Providence's overall mission." Six interrupted.

"Especially after putting me in that room-"

"She can work with me. I'll keep an eye on her." Cheshire clawed at the hand Rex had fastened to her mouth. "You don't have to keep her in the hole. You can talk to her." Cheshire bit the hand. "Speaking of hole, you can guess where my foot is going when I see yo-" The hand was back. White's eye twitched. "And what sort of insurance can you give that she's controllable?"

Six glanced at the girl with the bright eyes and dark skin. It was incredible how quickly she recovered from her trauma in the hole; the fire easily re-entered her actions and words.

If it had been anyone other than Six, his little exclamation would have been a scoff. "We're not guaranteeing that. But can you honestly let an opportunity like this just go back to storage?"

"Her nanites are stable some how. Like Breach or Van Kliess, but more so. It's unlikely there will be a situation in which we can't reason with her." Holiday threw in. White thought for a moment, watching Cheshire struggle against Rex and glare up at him. "Fine. But I expect constant monitoring and update on Evo X's progress." The screen went black.

"My name is Cheshire you mother fucker!" The clipboard was snatched out of Holiday's hands and smashed into the screen. After a moment of stunned silence, Cheshire turned to the others in the room, grinning. "I suppose thanks is in order. Although I hope you know I can't be 'controlled'." Six frowned behind his sunglasses. "What is that supposed to mean?" Cheshire beamed at him. "When I say something, it means what I mean, not more or less."


	5. Chapter 5

**BB say: **I just got my first ever waiting position at a pizzeria down the street. Never been a waitress before, but I figure I have plenty of experience dealing with picky people and jerks so I'll do well. I'm going to school in like two months anyway so I guess I if I hate it I can just quit early XP.

**Rating: **Teen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex or _Alice in Wonderland. _

"_But I don't want to go among mad people,' said Alice. 'Oh, you can't help that,' said the cat 'we're all mad here,'"_

_~Lewis Carroll_

The camera lens was cracked from where she landed on it, and she cradled it close as they walked. The only thing to do was develop the film and get another, she supposed.

The rest of the stuff in her bag - a book by the Brothers Grimm, an apple, some walnuts, a new dress, extra hair ties, and a particularly shiny shell- was also returned to her, but she figured those days were over. For the moment.

Cheshire tapped Rex's shoulder. "I want a new camera." Rex raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Cheshire pouted. "I like to take pictures. I'm not asking you to get me one. Just telling you where I'm going to go and what I'm going to do."

"I don't know Cheshire." He looked at her suspiciously. "I guess it depends on how you're gonna get this 'new camera.'" Cheshire grinned and shrugged.

Rex was giving her the "grand tour" of Providence on the way to what would be her room.

After she'd changed clothes, of course. Too much white left Cheshire a bit vexed.

The seldom used mess hall (Rex said they mainly had take out and pizza), the zoo (she hissed in the back of her throat, swallowing before Rex could hear it), Bobo's room (a hammock, a tire swing, and a tv) Six's room (like they could get in there) Holiday's office (another swallowed hiss) and finally her room.

It was down a regular hallway with regular dorms surrounding it. It felt mildly lifeless but not to the point of complete isolation.

Rex opened Cheshire's door for her and she walked in wearing a peach colored dress. She didn't have a hat and her shoes were gone. She unconsciously pressed her ears to the side her skull, a defensive quirk to close herself off.

A simple cot and a metal armoire were the only furniture. Her closet door was open and the door that must have led to her own bathroom was to her left. There were no pictures and the only light was the bright fluorescent bulb above their heads. Rex scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly at the sparse decor.

"Yeah. Kinda lacking in any sense of style whatsoever. That's sorta how Providence works. But I think you can fix it up. In the mean time, I'm next door so if you wanna watch t.v. or play video games…" he trailed off when she didn't say anything. She was sitting on her new bed, that serious look on her face, eyes distant. "Hey. Cee?" She looked up at him, eyes refocusing. A small smile came back to her face. "What?" He sat beside her, sighing. "I guess this is weird, huh?" Cheshire forced a grin to her face. "You guys sure know how to ruin a girl's good time." Rex startled, looking mildly offended. "I had nothing to do with it."

"I know. Messing with you."

"O-oh," Rex muttered softly. She'd never admitted to teasing him before…although he had always suspected it. "I guess…a window is out of the question, huh?" Rex smiled gently. "Yeah. Sorry." Cheshire sighed. "I won't be here much then. I really will leave when I get my strength back." Rex looked alarmed. "But if you run away, White will-"

"I'm not scared of what he thinks he can do to me. But it would suck if he questioned you about me." Rex was silent. Cheshire sighed in frustration at her own words. She hadn't meant to upset him; he was trying to make this easier for her. "I have no choice but to come back." Rex threw himself back on the bed. "Yep."

"Not so bad I guess. Free food, good company. And of course the complimentary mint on the pillow."

"You'll be able to see a lot more of my gorgeous face, if that's any added consolation." Cheshire grinned. "Ah. Why remind me of the horrible torture?"

"You must be blind."

"You know," Cheshire threw herself back so she was laying next to him. He smelled warm. "If the person who is supposed to be 'watching me' comes with me, am I not still under supervision? I mean, if I happened to, I don't know, run off to the beach or an amusement park or something crazy fun and I happened to be followed by my keeper…" Rex turned to her, eyes wide in realization before echoing her grin with one of his own. "Oh. _Malo genio _(evil genius)."

"I'll take that as a compliment." They grinned at each other crazily until a knock echoed through the room, a hairy knuckle tapping on the door frame.

"'ey. I'm not interrupting some sort of mating ritual, am I?" Rex's smile fell off, replaced by a familiar amount of fluster. "No, Bobo! Geez." Cheshire slid off the bed. "Hi. I'm Cheshire." The chimp looked her offered hand before accepting. "Bobo Haha. The pleasure's all yours." Cheshire grinned. "Of course. Never met a talking monkey before, Mr. Haha."

"The world is full of surprises." Cheshire grinned wider. Bobo gave her the once over, sizing her up. "Call me Bobo, kid. I respect you after your little spat with White." Cheshire's eyes flashed but the grin didn't waver. "I only said what I was thinking."

"And I respect that." Rex cleared his throat, standing from the bed.

"Yeah, so...Bobo and I will leave you to get settled Cee." Bobo smirked at Rex. "What's a matter Rex? Gettin' jealous?" Bobo grabbed Cheshire's hand and gave it a surprisingly gentlemanly kiss. Cheshire giggled behind her hand in mock coyness.

Rex's eye was twitching as he grabbed the back of the simian's shirt. "Stick to your own species, chimp." Bobo chortled as the door slid shut.

Cheshire sighed and stretched. She tried the door a few times to be sure it wasn't locked, and wound up napping with it open so as not to feel so confined. It's just another picture, she told herself, another adventure to relive. No reason to panic.

A specialist was sent to take her measurements and clothes appeared barely a day later. Rex must've had some say in the decision making, because the black boots, pants, and shirts of varying color were not nearly as horrible as she thought they would be. She'd had nightmares about white uniforms and ketchup hoses of doom.

Cheshire spent much of her first week adding color and personality to her room. She didn't take anything from her hidden tree sanctum, but she did give the room a similar, chaotic style. There was no particular direction in the décor, no theme to speak of, but everything flowed together somehow. The rising phoenix poster somehow coincided with the kitten calendar and the painted kanji for hope existed in harmony with the picture of a French café. Much like her life, everything was held together by some indestructible, undetectable, string of vitality.

Cheshire was considering new sheets for her bed when she was called on her first mission.

It was a cute little village somewhere north of Tuscany, Italy. It wasn't a difficult mission. The evo wasn't particularly large and the town wasn't particularly important. The team didn't need to be very large, and in the end only Cheshire, Rex, Bobo, and Six were selected to leave.

Cheshire leaned over to Bobo, bringing her feet to rest beneath her. "Do we get a movie on this flight?" Bobo shook his head. "No. Me and Rex asked before." Rex smiled. "Six says it's imperative to focus on the mission ahead. A movie would only distract us." Six grunted.

Cheshire closed her eyes for ten seconds before reopening them. "Done focusing. Can we have a movie Mr. Elf?" Six's shoulders twitched and Cheshire could only imagine the face he made as he glared out the front of the jet. "No. Do not force me to turn this jet around." Cheshire slouched in her seat.

"I hate flying. I don't see why I couldn't just take us there." Rex raised an eyebrow. "You can do that?" Cheshire shrugged. "I've only moved small objects and animals before. But I don't think it'd be too much of a-" Something crashed into the jet, sending the unbuckled Cheshire to the ground.

"Owww," she moaned, the floor shuttering as Six fought with the controls. "What was-" another jerk, this time cleaving the airship in half. A pointy talon like object narrowly missed the side of Cheshire's face.

Bobo and Cheshire went tumbling, Rex holding onto the side of the aircraft for support as he prepared the Boogie Pack.

"Grab Six!" Cheshire's scream reached him before he could leap. He hesitated, but only for a moment. He wasn't sure if Cheshire could figure a way to save herself and Bobo, but he was positive Six couldn't fly.

Cheshire yanked Bobo from the air, focusing on the ground below and hoping she could actually do this.

They appeared in a two room cottage, landing on what felt like a dining room table and upsetting a bowl of fruit.

Cheshire blinked the dim room into focus, sitting up and rubbing her neck. "You okay Bobo?"

A moan. "I'm gonna toss my bananas. But yeah." Cheshire gave herself a pat on the back for not killing them both.

She leapt off the table, taking the fruit to the ground with her. A startled gasp alerted her to the other bodies in the room.

A young woman with long brown hair and a sweet, open face clung to what must have been her daughter. They were both very pretty, although the little girl had brown eyes instead of her mother's soft gray. Their clothes were simple dresses made of browns and greens, and they weren't wearing any shoes on their dirty feet. The two must've been hiding under the table when Cheshire and Bobo fell in and frightened them.

"Sorry," Cheshire grinned "I didn't mean to land in your house. Our jet was going down and-"

The woman muttered something under her breath, clutching the child closer and gripping the cross around her neck. Cheshire cocked her head to the side, trying to hear. "What? I didn't-"

"_Invia demonessa! Invia _(Away demoness! Away!)!" Cheshire blinked. "What? What'd she say?" Bobo was clueless. Cheshire grinned wider, her tail swishing behind her, ears twitching. They had given her away. "_Sì, signora. Subito_ (yes ma'am. Right Away)." Cheshire turned and pushed her way past Bobo. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing my monkey man. Not a thing." An inhuman cry alerted them to the location of the evo. "Come on! Maybe we can meet up with Rex and Six!"

The evo was about the size of a mini van with skin the color and texture of sand. One wide, red eye took in its surroundings as a mouth with four razor teeth gnashed. The body was circular, with long, thick legs surrounding the eye and mouth in a shape similar to that of a sea urchin. Only sea urchins couldn't launch themselves several miles into the air to take down a jet.

The evo spun to provide momentum, the pointy legs used as weapons in its destruction. The mouth hissed as Bobo and Cheshire approached.

"Think we can talk it down?"

"You can try, sweetheart." Bobo opened fire, the evo rolling towards them. The legs were sharp and strong enough to tear up the cobblestone road. Cheshire yanked Bobo out of the path of destruction. "The word is mightier than the sword but it's a lot harder to use."

"What?"

"You'll get used to it." Huge, robotic hands (which Rex affectionately called Smack Hands) blocked the evo as it crashed into the side of a building and came back at Cheshire and Bobo. While Rex managed to deflect the rolling creature, he hissed in pain, the metal falling from his hands as he shook in arms. "Damn. That guy's pretty sharp." Cheshire grinned. "That wasn't a joke, right?"

"Depends. Was it funny?"

"Can you two flirt later?" Bobo opened fire on the evo again, shooting directly at the huge eye. Six leapt onto its legs, slashing between the twitching appendages while avoiding the creature's gapping maw. Just as Cheshire started to believe the evo was tiring, a strange shuttering motion ran through its limbs. Six leapt off it instinctually.

"Down!" With what could almost be called a laugh, the spiney legs launched themselves out of the evo and in all directions. Those powerful legs would cause horrible damage, their momentum forcing them into the buildings and possibly into the people hidden within. Lives would be lost, homes destroyed.

"As if I'd let that happen." Cheshire didn't give anyone the chance to ask who she spoke to. With a grunt of effort, she slowed the spines to a stop, barely saving the face of one of the little shops. Twisting her hands, Cheshire fired back at the evo, entrapping it in a cage made from its own legs.

"_Imponente_ (awesome)," Rex breathed in Spanish, watching the evo wriggle in its confinement. "Where have you been all my missions, _chica_?"

"Minding my own business," She panted from the effort. The strength needed to stop the speeding limbs had taken more then she had expected.

Legless and therefore helpless, the evo rolled around its imprisonment, snarling as Rex made his way toward it. "Hey. It's been fun. But time to be normal again."

People slowly started emerging from the cottages and little shops, muttering in Italian as they looked at their strange visitors. Six spoke into his communicator and ignored the growing crowd. "Pick up requested. The mission was a success."

A young man with short blond hair gazed wide eyed as Rex freed him from his cage. "Papa!"

The young girl Cheshire had seen before ran forward, clinging to the man's legs for dear life.

She had her father's eyes.

Her mother was not far behind, whimpering and crying out in Italian. The little family huddled together as the crowd around them grew, separating Rex and Cheshire from Bobo and Six. Watching the family embrace gave Cheshire a painful twinge in her chest.

Claustrophobic and tired, Cheshire searched for an exit, unable to fade away. The space between herself and Rex grew. It was useless to move towards him; too many people blocked her path and her feet felt glued to the ground under their looks.

She smiled with forced cheer. "Umm…hi. _Sono Cheshire_(I'm Cheshire)." The crowd looked at her in silent rejection and she felt her tail curl, twitching slightly. Her ears pressed themselves to her head. The word "_demonessa" _was tossed around her and the unease of the crowd grew. There was nowhere to run, and Cheshire couldn't focus. The edges of her body blurred, but the rest of her was caught in limbo.

"What's with them?" Rex had apparently elbowed and shoved his way over to Cheshire.

The uneasy evo grinned at the ground, folding her hands tightly behind her and feeling her body solidify a bit more. She stepped closer to Rex, closer to the warmth he brought. "Tails aren't normal in this part of the world. I may stand out a little." Rex gazed into the crowd, noticing for the first time the looks they gave his charge.

He grabbed Cheshire's arm. "Right. Let's go, Cee." He tried to steer her away. The little girl separated herself from her family, grinning up at the two of them like they were the greatest heroes the world had ever known. Cheshire flinched unwillingly as a little hand gripped the side of her shirt. "_Hai salvato papà! Sei incredibile! _(you saved daddy! You're amazing!)"

"What did she say?" Rex asked Cheshire. All she could do was stare down at the little girl. The crowd was silent, holding a collective breath as they waited for Cheshire's response. "_G-grazie, piccolo _(thank you, little one)," she stammered in response. The little girl mistook her shock for modesty and smiled wider, showing off a little gap in her front teeth. "_Spero che voi due vivono felici e hanno molti, i bambini piuttosto _(I hope you two live happily and have many, pretty babies)!"

Cheshire blinked. "Julietta!" The girl's mother cried in horror and embarrassment. The crowd still wasn't breathing.

Cheshire blinked once more. And started to laugh. Her bright, loud laughter filled the village air, and she honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard and so sincerely.

Weary, wavering laughter rose from the staring crowd. It was too much too hope for the tension to break, but the atmosphere did waver in the wake of uncomfortable amusement . Cheshire laughed all the harder.

"What did she say?" Rex asked as the crowd finally started to disperse. They had lost interest in their visitors.

Rex choked as Cheshire translated the little girl's words.

Cheshire kept grinning and burst into random giggles on the flight back to Providence.


	6. Chapter 6

**BB says: **My friend and I planned to walk a nature trail. We wound up lost for an hour because she wanted to get creative with it. Ever been lost in a South Carolina swamp in the fall? When the mosquitoes are getting their last bites in? Itchy doesn't even come close to describing it. It was fun in the end though, because we made it out with messy hair and muddy clothes. It was a good laugh ^^.

**Rating: **Teenagers and adolescents only! YOU! Four year old! You're outta here!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex or _Alice in Wonderland_. Ever read _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde _by Robert Louis Stevenson? Don't own that either, I just thought it would be cool to have a character in dedication to the story. I do own a dog who's scared of water. Seriously he claws me during every bath. Crazy little monster…

_"I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, sir,' said Alice, 'Because I'm not myself you see." _

_~Lewis Carroll _

Cheshire wasn't a picky eater. Nope. Nuh-uh. Her favorite pizza was pineapple-pepperoni-bell pepper-onion-anchovy-chocolate-ham-icing with extra sauce. Rex didn't believe her until the slice passed plump pink lips. "Are you sure you don't want any?" she spoke with her mouth full, choosing to take a swig of her water afterwards. A bit of icing was stuck to the corner of her mouth.

"Well?" He had been silent too long. "Ugh. No Cee, I'll stick to my normal, not potentially deadly, pizza." She shrugged casually, snatching a piece of meat off his pizza just to get a rise out of him. "'Kay. More for me." They ate in silence for a while.

"What?"

"I was about to ask that."

"What is it Cee?" She sighed. "If something is wrong say so now. Otherwise quit moping. Or did you not want to leave today?" Rex scoffed. "As if. I was _this _close to asking you to run away so I could chase you down."

"It's not running away if you snatch me onto the back of the Rex Ride."

"Point made. And beaten half to death an hour ago." Cheshire put her second slice of pizza back onto the plate. The extreme difficulty associated with choosing a mutual favorite proved to be too much for the two; in the end they got separate medium pizzas. It wasn't a big deal. Providence held credit pretty much anywhere and they would be out of town before the base could trace the transaction.

"So. Besides your wanton abuse of your poor, innocent partner-"

"It's not _abuse-"_

"What are the plans for today?" Rex shrugged. "I was hoping you had some sort of idea." Cheshire rolled her eyes. "As the maestro of this chaotic symphony you should have some sort of itinerary."

"I though you liked spontaneous."

"No. I like _being _spontaneous. When others do it I get irritated." Rex rolled his eyes. "Whatever Cee. I honestly don't see the difference." Cheshire muttered a response, too low for him to catch. He narrowed his eyes. "What's wrong with you today? Did I do something? Because if I did you need to tell me instead of acting so-"

"Snitty? Picky? Nagging? Bitchy?" Cheshire filled in the blank with a wicked grin, tail flickering in irritation. Rex sneered back defensively. "All of the above." Cheshire hissed low, ripping off the crust of her pizza like it was the nose on his face. He just didn't understand. Cheshire's very being was in turmoil because of today, her very character being questioned. And she wouldn't tell him, because that meant explaining, and that meant examining and she didn't want to think about it.

Rex ran his eyes over her face; the way her nose was wrinkling, the fading light in her eyes, her flattened ears. He didn't like being kept in the dark. He wanted to continue their confrontation, continue hammering her until she finally spilled whatever dark secret she held deep in her soul. What did he know about Cee, anyway? What did he know about _Cheshire?_ Every time they spoke she somehow twisted the conversation so it centered around him, on his opinions and choices and life. She never gave anything about herself, and although Rex was ashamed to admit it, he was getting suspicious. It was horrible and slimy to have to worry about a friend's loyalty, but past events made him wary and paranoid.

He almost asked her. And if she didn't answer he would let it inflate into a fight.

But the way her lips were set stopped him. The crinkling in her brow spoke of anger but the slight, barely there quiver in her lips was sad. Like she wanted to cry but couldn't because she didn't know how.

She was either a good actress or all too sincere.

Rex didn't know which distressed him more.

He stood up so fast his chair almost tipped over, and Cheshire jumped as it tottered. She looked up at him questioningly, her ears flicking for a moment before flattening themselves once again. Rex looked away. "We should go back to Providence. I mean, if you're tired then-" Cheshire shook her head and played with her straw. The pizzeria they sat in was nearly empty, but what few eyes were there had been trained on the odd haired girl and her companion. "Not tired. But I don't want to ruin the fun. I'll go back, you stay here." He sighed dramatically, trying to force lightness back into their conversation.. "Aw Cee. It's no fun if you're not here." Cheshire's smile was half hearted and too weak to stay on her face long. "You did just fine before we met, I'm sure." Rex shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her statement. "Whatever, Cee. If you go back, I go back."

"I told you, I don't want to force you to go back. That'd be selfish. Or maybe shellfish?"

"Shellfish?"

"Shellfish. Defiantly shellfish." Cheshire said it with a completely straight face. Rex fought hard to swallow his grin. Cheshire's eyes widened as a surge in nanites washed over her.

Rex was barely able to shield Cheshire with his hand before a stop sign could crack her skull. She blinked.

"I guess we have to take care of that, huh?" Rex tossed the sign away. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Cheshire stood up and vaulted out of the window the sign had broken.

The evo had lifted two cars into the air and was crashing them together, the people inside thrashing around and screaming. "'Sup _mi amigo _(my friend)!" Rex shouted. He smashed one of his punk busters into the evo and sent it flying. Cheshire caught the cars before they could hit the ground, grunting a bit at the effort.

She prized open the doors and helped the people out. It was two couples, looking to be around her age. The two boys wore soccer jerseys. "Is everyone alright? You injured?" One of the girls was very pale and was gripping her arm. "M-my wrist. I think it's broken." Cheshire nodded. "Help is on the way. I think. Just get out of the way before it comes back." They nodded, too stunned to say anything else. Moving too fast to be walking but too slow for a run, they retreated.

Cheshire turned in time to see the evo destroy Rex's Smack Hands, landing a punch to his face that probably would've killed a normal person. Rex would live, but lay unconscious as the evo approached, cracking its knuckles.

"Back off." Cheshire threw a hubcap like a Frisbee, hitting the evo on the back of the head. With a growl it turned and narrowed its eyes at her.

It was about twice as tall as the average human, with arms and legs loaded with veiny muscle and sinew. The huge yellow body dwarfed a tiny head with a tuft of blonde hair, and its eyes were completely dilated to the point of blackness. It had no nose or ears but rather holes where they would have been, and its mouth was lipless and narrow. It roared, charging Cheshire.

She lifted a mail box and flung it at the tiny head only for it to be deflected by a huge arm. The evo then deflected a (empty) car, a streetlight and a cement mixer. Cheshire was forced to go into defense, dodging the gigantic fists as the evo swung at her without forethought. One of the large fists missed her side and the evo's fist created a crater in the asphalt.

Gasping a bit, Cheshire took the chance offered, stepping onto its trapped arm and kicking its tiny head as hard as she could. She didn't have the training that Rex sported, but years of running and climbing had given her agility and stamina, if not powerful legs. The evo grinned at her. The kick had no effect. Although she may have broken a few toes.

"What are you made of? Trigonometry?" The grin disappeared. The evo stopped struggling against the asphalt, its face confused.

"Uhn?" It tilted it's head to the side.

"Because you're hard. Duh." Rex leapt onto the evo's back, wrapping his arms around its head as he tried to cure it. Believing the battle was over, Cheshire allowed herself to take inventory of her injuries. Some bruising on her side. A broken toe or two. She had scrapped her hands flipping out of the evo's path. Twisted her ankle.

She scolded her self for not paying attention when the evo tore Rex off its back, throwing him at her.

The two teen evos went flying, Rex somehow managing to twist his body so Cheshire landed on top. "Fuuuuck. Ow," 'Rex moaned, gasping as Cheshire rolled off him. He must've injured something catching her. "Sorry Rex." He winced as he sat up. "Part of the job. I've had worse."

"I know."

A strange, low noise silenced them, and looked at the evo with surprised eyes. It was laughing. "You think you can stop me?" Its voice was rumbling, echoing through their bodies. "I'm invicible! No one can ever stop Elmer Jekyll ever again!" Cheshire raised an eyebrow at the name Elmer. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh at the name or be surprised at the evo's sudden changed in intelligence. It went from rampaging beast to boasting ass in no time.

Rex pulled himself to his feet, holding his side. "Okay. Elmer, right? Let me cure you so we can all go about our day. It's my day off." Elmer laughed again. "Cure me? You want me to go back? Why would I do that? Why would I be lame old Elmer when I can be the new and improved," he grinned, flexing "Hyde?"

Moving faster than either Rex or Cheshire expected, Hyde lunged forward. Cheshire yanked Rex out of the way, taking the fall as the evo crushed her to the ground. He hadn't meant to kill her, otherwise he would've.

His massive fingers formed a cage around her torso, his palm barely hovering above her body. "Get off her!" Rex formed the Smack Hands, ready to tackle Hyde. Hyde grinned. "Back off, man. Or I'll crush her." He pressed down slightly to make his point, and Cheshire couldn't help but gasp slightly. Rex snarled, slowly lowering his hands. "Good boy." Cheshire didn't like this. Not at all.

She ground her teeth as Hyde applied a little more pressure, trying to get her to gasp again. But she refused to. She wasn't a bargaining chip; she was a (almost) full grown woman with pride!

Hyde must've felt her resisting, because his fingers dug deeper into the cement, creating small craters. "What the…?" Slowly, Cheshire pressed the heavy hand off, Hyde held back by an invisible, impenetrable wall. He thrashed, roaring and tearing, Cheshire struggled to keep the wall up. Her skin grew darker and her eyes slanted from the effort. A ball of smashed cement and metal rushed past her, and she recognized Rex's giant gun as the Slam Cannon. Together, they forced Hyde further and further back, hoping to tire him as they pinned him to a building.

"Let go you assholes! You think you can stop me? Huh? You think you can-" The singing shocked them all. Low and inhuman, the song soothed the fight.

A large, swirling vortex had appeared beside Hyde on the building. Cheshire looked at Rex, hoping for an explanation to this sudden event. "No way." The Slam Cannon disintegrated, Rex's nanites throwing a fit.

"What is it Rex?" He turned and looked at her, eyes still wide in disbelief. "Breach."

"I thought she was dead."

"She's not," another voice interrupted them, owned by a young woman exiting the hole.

She was pretty, Cheshire deduced, with long black hair and porcelain skin. Her red highlights stood out in the sunlight and her ruby red lips were puckered in a slight, disapproving frown. Unlike the last time Cheshire had seen her, she wore a black and red corset and black leather pants, black boots on her feet.

Circe sighed a bit, looking between the confused Cheshire and the startled Rex. "She was weakened, but she's okay now. The Pack still stands." Rex stepped forward, palms up. "Circe. Where…? How…? Van Kliess is dead. The Pack can't still exist. You can't still be…" Circe smiled at him. "The Pack lives. And so does what it stands for. Which is why I'm here, actually." She turned towards Hyde, who was still backed into the building. He seemed just as shocked to see the portal as Rex and Cheshire, and eyed Circe with caution. "What d'ya want, goth girl?" Circe smiled. "I came to take you to a place where you can be how you want without being judged or," she shot a glance at Rex and Cheshire "cured. It's an evo paradise, if you want to be corny."

"Yeah? And what's in it for you?" Hyde didn't move except to ball a large hand into a fist. Rex was about to sweep Circe out of the way when she held out a hand and gently touched the giant's arm. "Nothing. But you'll be safe. I promise." Hyde gave Rex and Cheshire a sneer. "Then I'm so outta here." He squeezed through the portal without a second thought, leaving the three alone.

Rex reached out as Circe turned to leave. "Wait, Circe. What can you be after now that Van Kliess is...normal?" Circe turned to him in slight exasperation. "I told you. Peace for evos everywhere, just like before. And as always," her look softened "you're welcome to join us." Her eyes flickered to Cheshire and hardened again. "Both of you, I guess."

"Hi. I'm Cheshire." Oblivious to the hard, scrutinizing look Circe was giving her, Cheshire stepped forward with a grin. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself sooner, that was rude." Circe looked back at Rex, but answered Cheshire. "I'm Circe."

"I know."

"You know?"

"I know a lot of things." Rex laughed uneasily as the two girls looked at each other. "Yeah. That's Cheshire. She's my new partner." Circe looked at Cheshire a moment longer before looking back at Rex. "Your partner. Right." It wasn't sarcastic, but her words held a certain bite. A bite that made Cheshire raise an eyebrow. "Why so solemn? I thought you guys were old friends." Rex nodded. "We are."

"Friends don't fight on opposing sides."

"We're not fighting, Circe."

"Not yet. But how long, Rex? You know it's coming."

"What's coming Circe? What?"

"A war! And you can't just turn your back on your fellow evos. We're all in this together. We should fight as one for the greater good instead of trading sides!" Cheshire stepped in again. "That's not fair. Just because he doesn't want to surrender what he believes in for you doesn't make him treacherou-"

"Butt out!" Circe snapped, frustrated. She turned and stomped back to the portal. "You know its coming. You should both pick a side before you're assigned one." The portal closed.

Rex couldn't get Circe's words out of his head that night. They now mingled with the looks the Italian village gave Cheshire, and he knew that there really was something coming. He wondered if that's how the Pack knew, if they could just feel it like he could. It was impossible for evos and humans to simply settle their differences and live together. Something would have to happen first, something cataclysmic and shocking.

Like war.

But if it did come to that, was Circe right? Was he really willing to fight evos who believed they were fighting for peace? Would that make him the bad guy? Or the good guy? Or maybe there wasn't any bad or good but merely one's opinion of oneself? One's opinion of one's actions?

He almost smiled. Now his thoughts were starting to sound like Cheshire. He turned off his tv, deciding to pay her a visit. Maybe her mood had improved.

Rex knocked on the girl's door, trying to be heard over the very loud classical music. He soon learned it was her favorite genre, considering she blasted it whenever she was alone. He knocked again, pounding a little harder. He heard something small fall to the ground, followed by what could only have been Cheshire falling after it. "OW! Shit!" It had indeed been Cheshire.

Rex listened to her pad over to the door and back again. "It's unlocked. Not that you couldn't open it if you really wanted to."

"Hey! I was just…being…polite…" Rex gaped at the view before him.

Lidless cans of paint sat on Cheshire's plastic covered floor, brushes tossed about. The posters and pictures had been taken down. Cheshire climbed back up her ladder, sitting at the top and finger painting on the wall.

"W-what are you doing?" Cheshire looked back at him with a smile. Her long, white hair was tied into a messy bun and she wore a paint spattered shirt over shorts. She actually looked happy for the first time that day. "Painting. Wanna help?" Rex had to admit this was partially his fault. It was rare he came to Cheshire's room; she was up with the sun and only slept late at night. She always came to him. But who could've possibly known that a bored Cheshire would turn herself into an artist?

"Why?"

"I wanted to." She dipped her fingers into the can of orange in her lap, blending it with the pink already on the wall. It was organized chaos, a mix of purples and reds and oranges and pinks. Little strings of white lay throughout and a yellow, unfilled circle sat in the center. All at once Rex knew what she was making. "A sunrise?"

"Or a sunset. However you see it." She smiled at the giant mural gently. "I miss the sky. I don't see it nearly as often as I used to. So I decided to bring it in with me." Avoiding the paint cans, Rex flopped onto her bed. They sat in companionable silence.

"She may be right, you know." Rex looked up. Cheshire was now adding a dash more red. "It would be stupid to say we can all just magically get along." Rex sighed. "I know."

"So we can't blame her for preparing for a very logical fight. We can't judge her for picking the side that doesn't single her out, call her a freak and lock her…away." Cheshire froze with her fingers pressed to the painting.

The paint was blood on her hands because of what they did and he did and she did. Horrified looks and tears and screaming.

"Cee?" She was snapped out of it by Rex's voice. She shook her head in agitation. Memories liked to come back every year on this day. Maybe he didn't notice.

"What's wrong?" Damn it.

"Nothing. Just thinking."

"No. I can tell something's bugging you. You're doing that ear thing." She hadn't even realized she was pressing her ears to her head. "Am I?"

"Seriously Cee."

"Nothing. I just don't like today." Rex sat up. "Okay, we're making progress. Why don't you like March 20?"

Cheshire clenched her eyes closed.

The little girl in brown pigtails with big brown eyes looked up at her. She was missing a tooth when she smiled, and she held it out to the big man with the gentle hands and kind look. It was her un-birthday and he offered her tea.

"Cee?"

And that same man threw her away. Snatched everything. Her life. Her mother. Her father. Because surely the big man wasn't her daddy anymore. Her daddy was dead. A bullet in his brain as he bled all over her floor. It was off with is head, because he angered the Red Queen.

"Cheshire? Are you okay?"

And she was screaming because her body rejected the anesthesia in the middle of the surgery and she could feel the knives and they couldn't or wouldn't hear her. And it hurt so bad she wanted to die and just leave it behind because it wasn't worth it. Maybe if they just accepted the way she was instead of trying to remake what she had been…push her off the wall and watch her shatter and try to build her pieces into what they wanted.

"Cheshire!"

They wept like they had lost their little girl. Because they had. This funeral was real because the thing upstairs had eaten her and was pretending to be lamenting their loss. A monster leaking venom and woe comparable to the jabberwocky itself.

"CHESHIRE!" Her eyes refocused slightly. When had she fallen off the ladder? Rex was propping her up on his knees, his hand cupping her face. "Is it your injuries? Should I get Doc- help?" She scoffed but it sounded like a choked sob. "I'm fine."

But she wasn't.

Because there were knives cutting her and the big man screaming at her and the room was dark and lonely and spinning. The blood was still on her hands and she could feel it soaking into her clothes because she had dropped it when she fell from the gallows for her crimes. Now it was on Rex too. Now it was on him too. And it was her fault.

She tried to slow her breathing, but it was fast and hard. Her vision grew blurry and a tear rolled down her cheek. Rex didn't know what to do.

"Cee! I'm so sorry. I should've left you alone. Forget I said anything, okay?" She sucked in her lips, trying to calm down but it was do use because it was today of all days and she could never hold on because there was never anyone to hold on to.

Until now.

Cheshire gripped Rex's shirt and buried her face in. There was more on him now, because now she was keeping him from running. Now he couldn't go and escape.

Rex had to lean closer to hear what she was repeating.

"It's on you now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Rex tightened his grip on her, burying his face in her hair. He suddenly wasn't so eager to know more about the puzzle that was Cheshire.

Dr. Holiday paused before stepping into the doorway. She listened for a moment and immediately felt guilty for eavesdropping. She decided to ask about Rex's fluctuation in nanites later.

Somewhere, across the world or across the town, was a quaint little cemetery plot holding the Warren family. The smallest of the three read "Here lies Nekane Warren. Beloved daughter and friend. Born March 20, 2013. Died March 20, 2024."


	7. Chapter 7

**BB says: **Guess who! No, seriously, guess! Did you guess yet?

That's right! It's Elvis!

….why are you surprised?

**Disclaimer: **I don't own or intend to buy Generator Rex. I can't afford _Alice in Wonderland _either. So I'll settle for a pack of stickers. Yay. This one's a smiley face.

**Rating: **Teen.

"_There is no use trying," said Alice "one can't believe impossible things." _

"_I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast,"_

~_Alice in Wonderland_, Lewis Carroll

It was weird and he didn't like to think about it.

Just how…cute? Pretty? Serene? Cheshire could make herself look while sleeping.

Her bitter, silent sobs panned out after about an hour, but Rex had been unable to leave her. She had clung to his shirt like he was her only hope in a dark world, a hope that she was increasingly afraid would leave her to suffer alone. Rex was caught in a limbo of wondering who had done this to her and hating himself for not being more useful than a warm body.

Rex laid her on her bed, heedless of the red paint they were both covered in. It was in her hair, her clothes, and splattered on almost every inch of bare skin. He hoped she wouldn't mind the splotches that her unconscious body was now creating on her bright green comforter, but knowing her she may even like them.

Although the very sight of the red on him had reduced her to whimpering and apologizing.

New plan. Cheshire would sleep in his bed, and he would try and get her comforter clean before she woke up.

Anything to keep her from hurting like that ever again.

Rex felt kindred to the silent, oozing pain Cheshire was nursing. A lack of memories didn't mean he couldn't feel. Didn't mean that little snippets, little morsels of what he had been couldn't cause a feeling of discontent or emptiness to wash over him. Because his mind gave him a blank spot where his family should be, where his past exploits would be, where past friends could be and he knew that the only reason he forgot was because of a trauma so great he had no choice but to forget.

For his own sanity, if Dr. Holiday's psychology books were any reference.

Something so painful it was best if everything was washed clean in his memories.

Rex shoved Cheshire's comforter in the washer almost aggressively, agitated at his own state of unrest. Too much was happening too fast, and as tired as his bruises and his screaming muscles were making him he knew sleep was pointless. Any attempt was bound to be thwarted by another realization.

Rex sighed through his nose as he turned on the shower, trying to get the paint off.

Maybe video games?

Rex was distracted by a noise before he could turn on his latest fighting game. The sound wasn't loud, nor was it particularly abrasive, but it stopped him cold in his tracks.

Cheshire whimpered.

Rex was by the bed in seconds, kneeling beside her. Her peaceful face was once more distorted and mournful, lips pouting and brow in a rare frown. Tears fought their way from behind closed eyes and her breathing was turning into struggled pants again. Her fingers twitched before her arms and legs began curling in on her body.

"Cheshire?" A low moan. One of her ears flicked in response to her name. Her eyes opened half-way, a state of wakefulness that wasn't quite conscious. Not sure if she was really aware of his presence, Rex reached forward, pushing stray hair from her lips. Her eyes fell back closed with a sigh, her muscles relaxing a bit. "Warm," she slurred, falling back asleep. The frown on her face lessened a bit. Rex withdrew his fingers, watching her body relax.

On a whim, he reached forward again. His fingers traced over her forehead, her cheek, her chin, her slightly parted lips. Her face with still warm from crying and her lips were cracked and dry.

He ran his fingers through her hair and traced one of her ears. He knew is was creepy to watch someone as they slept, but the thought was drowned by his fascination with how innocent her face could look without her grin. A grin so loud it was almost a snarl, a defensive wall erected and kept in place at all times.

Cheshire's grace, her attitude, and the features on her body all mirrored that of an arrogant feline, but her face was all too human. Very human and very girl.

As Rex's finger met the tender area where her ear and scalp met, Cheshire hummed. No. She _purred_. Curious, Rex did it again and she purred a bit louder, her tail flickering with contentment.

Cheshire's eyes snapped open. Rex didn't have time to retract his hand before she turned her head, catching one of his fingers in her sharp incisors.

"Ow! Cee!" She narrowed her eyes, smiling. "No touchy without permission." Rex blushed, sticking his finger in his mouth. "How long have you been awake?"

"Hnnnnn?" Cheshire stretched in a very cat like manner, digging claws into his sheets. "Not long. What time is it?"

"12:03."

"M'kay." Cheshire laid back down again, perfectly at home regardless of where she was. She watched him and he watched her back. "Now what?" Rex shrugged, willing his warm face to cool a bit. Cheshire gave no indication that she knew just how long he had been watching her, but being Cheshire she could know _everything_ and just be hiding it behind that grin.

"Thanks for the series of painful rabies shots you've guaranteed me. Seriously Cee you broke the skin." She pouted in mock regret, reaching out and grabbing his hand. She wrapped one of her fingers around his injured index. "Aww. Did I hurt poor little Rexy? You need me to kiss it and make it better?" Rex twitched and Cheshire smiled at the flustered look on his face. She lifted his hand to her face, chortling as he fought her. "No Cee! Geez! Let go _muchacha loca!" _She was laughing too hard to hold on to his hand. The silence that followed was considerably less tense.

Cheshire closed her eyes and rolled over. "G'night." Rex startled. "Hey! You have your own bed you know!"

She sighed in boredom, watching Captain Calan do repairs on one of Providence's airships. Rex had been sent on a mission without her because Bastard Head (White Knight) wanted Dr. Holiday to familiarize herself with Cheshire's nanites. Whatever. It was easy enough to evade the doctor; Cheshire made it into a game to soothe her boredom. She promised herself that she would stay within Providence itself, and if Dr. Holiday actually caught sight of her, she would give herself up. Or she would think about giving herself up. Whichever.

Not that she would lose her own game. She just faded whenever she heard Holiday's quick, precise heels clacking on the floor. Eventually she appeared in the hanger, where she met a blonde captain with a slight southern twang in his speech. She affectionately called him CC.

"The name's Captain Calan."

"I know. CC's better though." Calan sighed, going under the ship. Cheshire was lounging on top of the windshield, wearing fresh pajamas and debating whether she wanted a cat nap or not.

"So how long have you been in Providence, CC?" She heard Calan sigh at the name before responding. "About six years. Was in the United States Air Force before the incident."

"Are you happy with your decision?" It was silent while he pondered her question. "Yeah. Guess I am. Pay's good and I get to see the world."

"I'm glad you found something that makes you happy."

"That makes two of us." They sat in comfortable silence as Calan continued to tinker with the airship. "Is she nice?" Calan bashed his head on the bottom of the plane, cursing. "What's that?"

"Dr. Holiday. She a nice lady?" Calan shook his head and grabbed a wrench. "Yeah. Real nurturer. Always runnin' behind Rex like she's his mother." Cheshire picked at a hang nail. "But she's a doctor."

"So?"

"So she doesn't care about anything other than her research. Other than her work…right?"

"Aw naw. You know it's not fair to clump all doctors together like that."

"I do?"

"Yep. You do. Now how about bringing me some ice water? Not like you're doing anything else." Cheshire scoffed. "Just because I stopped to introduce myself does not make me your maid."

"Nope. The fact you entered my hanger without permission does." Grumbling, Cheshire took her time fading, mumbling rude comments. The hanger was startlingly quiet without her.

Moving out from beneath the airship, the captain wiped off his greasy hands and pressed his finger to the radio on the wall. It sizzled for several moments before finally patching into the channel he had selected.

"Yes, what is it?" the voice was slightly winded and significantly hassled. Calan smiled at the thought of the kind doctor losing her temper. "I found the little lady. She's on her way to the kitchen, if you haven't given up yet." Holiday snorted. "I'll never surrender. On my way to the kitchen now."

"Play nice Holiday."

"Bye." Calan smiled to himself. He really did like the doctor.

But not enough to risk a katana through the face.

Providence's main base was a leading force of technology, with computerized systems spanning the entire establishment. With over ten super-computers and enough security to make Fort Knox look easily accessible, Providence gave the appearance of being capable to accomplish anything is set its mind to.

But the ice machine was busted.

Cheshire cursed as the mechanism made that strange, grinding noise, refusing to fill the glass she thrust into it. "Come on! Really? Providence can build an anti-gravity machine and a space station but can't keep an ice maker functioning?" She kicked the refrigerator. "You wanna play rough? Is that it? Cause I _will _throw down!" The fridge hummed defiantly, accepting her challenge.

As she was bout to rip the appliance apart, the young evo was stopped by the faint, rhythmic sound of someone breathing.

"Damn it."

Cheshire spun on her heels with a hiss, leaping on the counter and swatting at Dr. Holiday was extended claws. "How did you find me?" Her eyes were narrowed but her shaking smile and quaking hands lessened the intimidation factor. Holiday shook her head. "Does it matter?" The girl snarled in response, the air around her body crackling with nervous energy. "I don't _do _check ups. Get that through your skull, _Doctor." _Holiday chose to ignore the bitter tone with which the last word was said.

"Actually, it's Miss. Miss Holiday, if you will." Cheshire raised an eyebrow, body still tense. "What?"

"Do I look like a doctor to you?" Cheshire ran her eyes over Holiday.

Her usual bun remained, but sat above a face that lacked make up of any sort. She wore a baggy red t-shirt claiming that "Math is Power" and grey sweat pants that looked rather worn. On her feet were monkey slippers, explaining why Cheshire had not heard her coming.

The evo grinned. "Nice sheepskin, lady wolf." Holiday frowned. "Sorry for trying to make this easier for you."

"It'd be easier if you just left me alone." Holiday sighed. "You know I can't do that Cheshire." Cheshire grinned wider, eyes flashing. "Yes. Your insatiable curiosity can't stand the thought of something you don't understand. Your scalpel is just itching to cut into me and see how much you can take before it grows back. Here's a hint," Cheshire's grin turned dark, corrupted "it always grows back. I always grow back." It was a guilty pleasure watching the doctor's face go from determined to disturbed. "Cheshire I would never-"

"You _would, _if you _could, _but you _can't_, so you _won't_," the girl interrupted. She forced her body to unfold, swinging her legs. Her claws were still extended, but she dug them into the marble countertop she sat upon. Holiday's hands were shaking as she crossed her arms. "Even if I could I wouldn't." Cheshire scoffed. "So you never had to dissect? Experiment? Examine? Your doctorate is built upon years and years of sitting on your ass and not testing theories? Don't lie to me, _doctor_." Holiday's eyes looked away momentarily. "I'm not saying that. But I won't hurt you Cheshire. I wouldn't do that to you."

"I've seen this movie. I know how it goes."

"I won't! How can I prove it to you?" Cheshire lowered her eyes. A cracking was heard as her claws sank into the counter top.

"You can't. It's impossible." There was silence as Cheshire let her words hang in the air. She closed her eyes against the look of defeat and hurt that was surely on the doctor's face. Cheshire didn't like hurting people -honestly, truly, absolutely- but she _would not _lead the woman on. She knew her own heart, her own hurt, and she knew even if she tried she would never be able to fully trust a member of science. There would always be that uncertainty. That suspicion. That hatred.

"I believe." Cheshire opened her eyes slowly, making eye contact with the doctor. Instead of defeat, the hazel eyes of Holiday held a stubborn confidence as she faced the girl. "I believe in impossible things. Not just because of my job, but because of who I am." Holiday shook her head in frustration, throwing down her clipboard and yanking out her hair tie. Chocolate curls bounced down her shoulders in an untamable mess as she glared at Cheshire with an indignant blush on her face. "So let me try. Impossibilities do not intimidate me. I'm not just a doctor; I'm a person." Cheshire was uncomfortably silent for a few moments, startled.

She barked a bitter laugh.

"You believe in the impossible? You're willing to run into that wall going 180 with no brakes?" Holiday held her chin high despite Cheshire's mocking laughter. "What if I still hate you? Still keep you at arm's length? What if the impossible remains that way; just out of reach? A glass ceiling?"

"It'll give me something to aim at. Something to hope for."

"Hope keeps us afloat."

"Yes." Cheshire smirked, swallowing the rest of her giggles. "I like Miss Holiday. I like to believe in the impossible too." The tension flowed out of Holiday's body all at once, like she had been holding her breath. "Good to hear. At least we can agree on one thing."

"Yes. Impossible is just a word. And," Cheshire blinked and cocked her head to the side in phony innocence "you'll keep_ Dr. _Holiday away from me." Instead of answering, Holiday let her eyes roamed the ground as she gathered the hair off her shoulders.

"I think I lost my hair tie." Cheshire hopped off the counter. "Whatever. You're pretty with your hair down." The older woman smiled. "But it's so unprofessional." Cheshire shrugged. "So are sweatpants." Holiday blushed again. "I really was making an effort."

Cheshire giggled, but her eyes narrowed as Holiday reached for her clipboard. Noticing Cheshire's change, Holiday threw the clipboard across the room. "Do you like tea, Cheshire?" The girl's eyes lit up at the distraction.

"Yes. I love tea." Holiday smiled kindly, if not a bit nervously. "Although no one uses this place, White keeps it well stocked. How about a little gossip and girl time?" Cheshire grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. "What about my nanites? Don't you want to know more?" Holiday shrugged. "I'll make up some results. It's not like White can understand all of it anyway. He just has control issues."

"I figured." Holiday yanked a tea kettle out of a low cabinet. "There's a lounge too. Did Rex show you?" Cheshire shook her head, watching Holiday flit around the kitchen looking for cups. Her movements were careful as if she was afraid Cheshire would disappear again if she moved too suddenly. "We're just in time to catch my stories…if you'll join me."

"Got nothing better to do."

"Tea biscuits?"

"Of course."

Calan sighed, pulling himself out from beneath the airship for the final time. He wiped the sweat off his brow, leaving a streak of black muck, before looking around the empty hanger. He sighed into empty air.

"I really did want some water…"


	8. Chapter 8

**BB says: **My older brother can't make it home for Thanksgiving. I is sad.

**Rating: **M-17

….

Just kidding. It's teen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex or Lewis Carroll. Or _Alice in Wonderland_. Or Santa Clause. Or the Chrysler Building.

"_She generally gave herself very good advice (although she very seldom followed it),"_

~_Lewis Carroll_

"_Cyrano De Bergerac_. After _Alice in Wonderland _and before _Oedipus Rex._"

"Why do I feel like you just went in alphabetical order?"

"Feel what you want," Cheshire shrugged, her shoulder brushing Noah's. It had been over two years since her attack kiss, but it was obvious from the way he froze he hadn't forgotten. She hoped, with a naughty grin, that she hadn't traumatized the boy too thoroughly.

"What about you Noah?" He scratched the back of this head, avoiding Cheshire's gaze. Despite the fact she had decided against her crush on him, he still had the prettiest blue eyes she had ever seen. "Well, I mainly read comic books." Cheshire giggled. "I love comic books! Have you read-" a big ball of bright orange rubber interrupted, nailing Noah in the stomach. The poor blonde would've fallen backwards off the bench if not for Cheshire lashing out and grabbing the front of his shirt.

"Why am I the only one shooting hoops? I thought that was why we're here. At the BASKESTBALL court." Rex had a slight frown between his bushy brown eyebrows, his arms crossed. Cheshire released Noah. The blonde flailed but maintained his balance, shooting Rex a look as Cheshire grinned good naturedly.

"The only reason you want _me _to play is because I suck even more than you do."

Brown eyes narrowed. "I _do not_ suck."

"Yeah. You kinda do."

"Seriously, Noah. I will tear you up man."

"On the court? I doubt it." Now there was definitely a frown on Rex's face, but a competitive smirk dimmed it. He pulled off his jacket, tossing it to Cheshire. "Wanna test that theory?"

"Anyplace, anytime."

"Here and now." They glared at each other, Noah standing eye level with Rex. On a silent cue, the game started.

Cheshire lounged on the park bench, folding her arms beneath her head and picking shapes out of the clouds. It was a lovely day, warm and sunny. She had left her jacket in the Keep and her long white hair was braided into two long pigtails. She had stolen a pair of Six's sunglasses and pushed them back into her hair. The green suited ninja had like fifty pairs, but something told her he would notice this pair of shades missing. And it would be all too amusing to watch him fight a scowl when he saw them on her face. Cheshire looked over when one of the boys yelped (Noah had elbowed Rex in the stomach) and her ears swiveled at the sound of an approaching airship.

"Rex." He looked over at her. "Already? We've barely been gone a day!" Cheshire sat up stretching and yawning. "_C'est la vie mon ami _(This is the life my friend)." Rex frowned at Cheshire's use of French. She was trying to teach it to him in their spare time.

"I'll see you around Noah." Noah smirked, raising an eyebrow. "You do realize the score is currently five to zip? With me in the lead, of course." Rex turned on his heel, his manly pride at stake, but Cheshire leapt onto his back and wrapped her legs around him.

They vanished just as the ship broke through the clouds, Noah left to create an alibi.

"I will _never _get used to that," Rex moaned leaning on a building. While Cheshire always seemed unaffected, Rex was dizzy and somewhat disoriented whenever she took them anywhere. He preferred using the Rex Ride.

Cheshire's ears flickered, Six's glasses falling back onto her face. Maybe that was how Providence found them; it wouldn't be surprising if Six's glasses had some sort of tracker in them.

Cheshire grinned at Rex, ears finally still. "Just making sure no one from Providence followed us." Rex blinked. "Okay. But where are we?" Cheshire grinned a bit wider, placing a finger on her chin in contemplation.

"Unless my aim is off, we're in Lexington, Kentucky." Rex deflated, and Cheshire was amused to watch a pout appear on his face. "And what is there to do in Lexington?" Cheshire shrugged. "Absolutely nothing. Unless you like horse races." Rex twitched. "Why bother coming? Why couldn't you take us someplace cool like the Virgin Isles or Tokyo?" He hadn't meant to sound confrontational but losing (a battle, a game, a bet) always left him a bit grumpy. Cheshire huffed, defenses prickling. She didn't like being questioned.

"Because I didn't think to. And I don't take requests. I'm not a taxi."

"I'm just saying if the best we can come up with is _Lexington_ then maybe it would be better to just go back."

"It's not the best I could think of! I just went to the first place that came to mind!"

Their argument continued, drawing quite a bit of attention (especially after Cheshire yelled that Rex was an ungrateful curmudgeon. He shouted back that she had made up that word). Although neither of the two was truly angry at the other, they didn't want to surrender their victory. Neither wanted to lose. This was a clash of two equally stubborn, prideful individuals.

"You want to leave? Fine!" Throwing one of her rare and very childish fits, Cheshire leapt onto Rex once more, gesture that looked like a cross between a bear hug and a tackle. "Wait! Ches-" And they were gone.

This wasn't one of her best landings, Cheshire lamented.

Bad kitty.

Appearing inside the Ukrainian bug jar.

Cheshire tossed the car, slamming the vehicle into one of the larger evos. She felt so very bad. She shouldn't have let anger get the best of her; but the thought of Rex not liking her abilities made her so unspeakably furious for some unforeseen reason. Like he could do better! He was lucky she even bothered to take him the ungrateful-

Cheshire dodged an onslaught of claws, the evo responsible rounding back for another swipe.

The evo was vaguely humanoid, but lacked a head. Its mouth and eyes peered from behind a tattered shirt, its arms elongated with pointed, sword-like fingers. It growled, lashing out at Cheshire again. Despite it's superior range, the grinning evo girl was easily faster than her opponent. A flick of the wrist and a minute later, the evo was lying beneath a pile of rubble. The next two attacked at the same time, wolf-like monsters that had flesh and hair dangling from exposed bone. They weren't very large, but were able to match Cheshire's speed.

It reminded her of schoolyard brawls, the way the crowd of evos merely stood in a tight circle and watched as Cheshire took on one (or two) at a time. She took their roars and snarls as cheering.

The two wolves growled, lunging forward. She crashed the remains of a streetlamp into one, but the other tackled her, claws slashing through the front of her shirt. Although she was too startled to feel the pain, she felt blood soaking through her clothes. She ignored the feeling of sticky wet numbness and dug her claws into the wolf's underbelly.

The ground shattered beneath her. A worm evo the length of a bus, complete with a mouth of razor sharp teeth and a foul temperament, lunged at her as she staggered to her feet.

Startled, Cheshire couldn't save herself from being struck on the head by a piece of pavement as she tumbled down into the darkness.

Rex was concerned for several reasons.

When he opened his eyes he was in Kiev. In the bug jar. Which wasn't a very welcome thing. His first worry came when he realized Cheshire wasn't with him, leading to all sorts of fantasies in which she was kidnapped by NoFace or dragged away by any number of the nightmarish evos in the field.

But that worry evolved into a new worry.

Had she left him?

Rex's heart threatened to stop. Cheshire wouldn't do that, he thought he knew, but that little nugget of paranoia in the back of his mind came back and pulled at him.

Hell doth posses no wrath like a woman scorned.

Rex was attacked from behind.

A powerful fist caught him on the temple, followed by a kick to the stomach.

His weapons refused to activate.

Where was Cheshire?

Rex's arms were roughly contained, causing him to gasp as he was forced to face his attacker.

Shit.

If it had eyes, Rex was relatively sure NoFace would be glaring at him. Or smirking. Hard call.

"You," the all too familiar voice hissed across Rex's mind, causing him to cringe. The super strong evo crushed him a bit harder, and the edges of his vision faded. "Yeah," Rex gasped "me."

She didn't leave him…right?

What did he _know _about Cheshire?

"Why are you here? The Before have sent you?" Rex forced himself to stay conscious in order to respond. "N-no. Just looking for a vacation spot. I heard you have a nice…hotel."

Something cracked and pain blossomed in Rex's torso. It was childish knowing he got the last word before losing consciousness.

Cheshire screamed angrily, struggling against the strange slime pinning her to the wall. She really didn't want to know what it was, but had the sneaking suspicion it was mucus of some sort.

Seriously? Nasty bastards.

Rex was lying unconscious a few feet in front of her, the evos forming a sort of semi-circle around their hostages. They appeared to be conversing in a language that Cheshire couldn't understand, although the one with no face seemed to be the leader. With an exclamation, he silenced the crowd.

"Female that is not a Before," a voice hissed through Cheshire's mind, making her jump. She almost didn't hear it over the pounding rage of her headache.

"How are you here?" If she hadn't been bound, Cheshire would've given her typical shrug. But since she was trapped and bleeding and why-the-Hell-was-the-room-spinning she simply grinned.

"Well personally I like to believe in the Big Bang Theory. But I'm always open to new ideas." The faceless evo hissed, not amused. "Where is your sky ship?"

"I don't have one. I hate flying."

"You lie!" The lead evo snapped. The entire crowd of evos roared, catching onto their leader's anger. Cheshire grinned wider. "Really? Did you _see _us fly in? Hear our 'sky ship'?" The evos were silent once more. "Because we didn't have one. Jumping to conclusions like you don't have any home training. Honestly." She subtly struggled against the slime with her abilities, but couldn't focus hard enough before her headache interrupted.

"You came without a sky ship? How?" The leader stepped forward. Cheshire hissed, thinking it was going to touch Rex, but it stepped over the boy's body. "Me," she answered casually, like discussing the weather "I brought us here. It's a talent of mine. If you let me down, I can show you." The evo hissed in her face. She was glad it didn't have a mouth; otherwise she would've gotten a nose full of evo breath.

"Free yourself."

"It's too hard when I'm pinned. Let me down and I'll grant you your wish." There was an uproar, the lead evo raging his rejection through her mind. "Then I can't show you, can I?" Cheshire shouted back, smile extreme and humorless. The faceless evo growled, but crossed the larger pair of his four arms in frustration.

Another evo crawled forward with all the grace of an oversized bug. It had two heads leading into one, amphibious body with three legs. Two pairs of eyes appraised Cheshire before the head on the left, a pea soup shade of green, opened its mouth and spat on her.

Nasty. Bastards.

With no home training.

The viscous sludge melted off her body. With nothing to keep her upright, Cheshire was taken by a dizzy spell.

NoFace. She decided to call it NoFace.

NoFace reached down, yanking the girl to her feet roughly. "Show us. Tricks and the other dies." Cheshire smiled. "Of course. No tricks." She slumped tiredly, wobbling as NoFace released her to stand alone.

Under normal conditions, Cheshire was what she thought was a reasonable young woman. She only stole when necessary, she didn't intentionally hurt others, she recycled. And most of all, she had a little voice in the back of her head that gave her advice. Most people had it too, and most people called it a conscience. But Cheshire called hers Crazy As Hell as it proposed something risky and not completely sane. Something not so different from Russian roulette. With five bullets in a six chambered gun.

NoFace was taken by surprise when Cheshire suddenly lunged towards Rex.

With the last dredges of adrenaline, she forced all her power into a needle thin point, tapping into a talent she hadn't known she had until now. Until today. When she had become separated from Rex.

Cheshire didn't admit it, but fading in and out did cost a lot of stamina, even more when she had to move someone else. She had gotten better over time but fading with Rex not once but _twice_ in one day was too much for her body to handle. Only one of them could go this time.

Cheshire finally recognized how amazing it was to _watch_ someone disappear instead of disappearing. All that was left were his goggles.

She hoped, moments before the angry mob of evos was on her, that he had landed on the basketball court. There was a good chance Providence was keeping watch in case she or Rex showed up. She wished she could be there for their surprise.

The first to reach her, NoFace, slammed against the hastily constructed dome of energy, furious. "What? I told you I could." Cheshire's grin was weak, but sincere. She had made the right decision. Crazy As Hell agreed. "I was just showing you what I can do." NoFace's voice was a wordless, aggressive rake against her mind, and she winced. "Now, now. Use your words." Cheshire wondered if Providence would make it before she lost consciousness. Before the field finally died down and NoFace was free to seek revenge.

At least Rex had made it out.

"You will free us as well!"

"Hmmmm…no."

"Then you will pay!"

"I don't carry cash." NoFace slammed its body against the field, and Cheshire pressed back with a grunt of effort. She almost blacked out, the strain sending a jolt of searing pain through her body.

Rex.

Hurry back.


	9. Chapter 9

**BB says: **My adoring public awaits me! *someone throws a cabbage* Damn it _Candyxdaxneko_! I totally saw you!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex or _Alice in Wonderland._ And I'm going to therapy to deal with it.

**Rating:** Teen

"_One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others,"_

~Lewis Carroll

The only reason Christopher Joseph Jackson joined Providence was because he wanted the attention of his parents. Christopher was the middle child in a family of five boys and was constantly drowned out by his brothers' athletic and academic achievements. Chris, never having much patience for school and far too lazy for any possible extracurricular, allowed himself to fall into a slovenly slump through most of his young adulthood, a fast metabolism his only protection from obesity.

The sudden appearance of evos (and Providence) provided an escape from the mundane life of his mother's nagging and his father's disapproval. No one else in the family believed they owed their lives to anyone other than themselves, his brothers all well on the way to average lives with average families.

But not Chris.

He was always a little odd.

He was among the first recruited.

Now a Staff Sergeant and leader of a small (but effective) platoon, Staff Sergeant Jackson had volunteered for Kid Catching, the affectionate term used whenever Providence was called upon to locate Rex and his recently acquired cohort. Jackson thought the job would be easy, regardless of the horror stories told amongst the ranks. Why was it so hard for one of the most powerful military establishments in the world to catch a couple of dumb kids? Surely he possessed the skills necessary.

After the first four hours he began to doubt his assumptions. He was glad Agent Six was searching elsewhere and hadn't been there to hear his bragging.

They eventually made their way to the court where the kid played with a resigned undercover agent.

Of course by the time they arrived Rex had taken his leave. Although the blonde kid swore he was never there in the first place. But the jacket on the nearby bench was a testament to the lie.

Jackson instructed his men to sweep the area, check for any clue as to where Rex had gone. But if Evo X had the talent the rumors claimed, they would be in for a long and fruitless hunt.

As the Staff Sergeant prepared to call his men to regroup something heavy and suspiciously teen shaped landed, quite literally, on top of him.

Needless to say Jackson was startled.

"_System Reboot. Error corrected, system restore 75% completed. Preparing to assess environment for potential hostile element."_

Rex reached out to shut off his alarm clock, only to find it was a heart monitor.

For a brief, panicky moment, he couldn't remember where he was, what had happened, or when.

How old was he?

Where did this pain come from?

Why were their voices in his head?

In a flash of imagery, his memories returned, byte by megabyte.

"Fuck."

He sat up so fast his torso injury stung, a gasp escaping from dried lips. Dr. Holiday rushed in, probably in reaction to his sudden spike in brain activity.

"What happened? Why aren't I in Kiev? Where's Cheshire?" Dr. Holiday pressed on his shoulders, coaxing the anxious evo to lay down. Shutting off the screaming monitors, the doctor spoke.

"We found you on the basketball court. I can only think to attribute your sudden appearance to Cheshire. " Rex's eyes widened, and he tried to sit up again.

"Where is she?" Dr. Holiday closed her eyes from the anxiety on the boy's face.

"You mean she's not here? She never came back?" Holiday shook her head gravely. "But she left me in Kiev! I thought she would come back here."

"Rex, I haven't seen her since yesterday morning, just before you two ran off."

"Which is how long ago?"

"Almost thirty-six hours."

"That tears it." Rex flung his legs over the side of his bed, opposite the end that Holiday stood on. "Let's go! We have to-"

"Rex."

"What? She's been gone almost two days Doc! _All by herself! _Holiday grabbed the boy's arm before he could rush out the door. "I know Rex! We've been looking for her. There's no trails, no sightings, no serious spikes in nanite activity. Wherever she is, she either doesn't want to be found or just can't be detected." Rex winced, the thought springing into his head before he could stop it. He knew but didn't want to know it to be true. Because he hadn't had the faith in her to see it before.

"Kiev." Holiday blinked. "Kiev?"

"She's in Kiev. In the bug jar." He looked down at Dr. Holiday. It occurred to her how odd it was to look up at a boy she used to have to bend down to talk to.

"That would explain it. The field surrounding Kiev is semi-permeable and resistant to most radio waves. She's literally off our radar." Holiday released Rex, hurrying past and out the door. Rex followed.

"That would explain everything. Why you were hurt, why she sent you to us. I should've known." As they walked, Rex realized they were in the Keep, the large room with the huge monitor opening up to receive them. "I need a thorough scan Kiev and an update on any evo activity within 200 kilometers of the jar. Search for any irregularities in the atmosphere." Holiday had learned that Cheshire's talent of disappearing left a slight ion spike before she re-materialized.

"Calan! I need a jet prepped for a voyage into Kiev and an undercover team. Try to call Six and Bobo back from their mission in Brazil. We need-"

"Care to tell me why you're giving orders to _my _men, Dr. Holiday?" The frown on Rex's face was automatic, an instinct triggered by the mere sound of the White Knight's voice. Unruffled, Holiday looked up at her superior. "We've located Cheshire. I was trying to get together an effective retrieval team." White frowned. "And where is Evo X?" The only hint of Holiday's nerves was a slight twitch in her right hand.

"Kiev. Sir." White frowned even deeper. If that was even possible. "Where is the evidence to support this assumption?"

"That's where Rex was transported from."

"And how do we know that Evo X is still there? That she hasn't also taken her leave?" Holiday was silent before responding. "We don't know."

"Exactly. You expect me to send a team of Providence agents on a wild goose chase through one of the most dangerous cities in the world? On some theory?" Holiday didn't answer, but her hands clenched into fists. "It's not a theory. I know she's there. Where else could she be that none of our satellites can track her? Why else hasn't she come back by now?"

"Did it ever occur to you that Evo X may be attempting to escape? This was the perfect distraction for her to get away. A team will be put together to hunt down and termi-"

"No." Rex spoke for the first time since entering the room, interrupting White's growing anger. He had been struggling to swallow the guilt in his throat (he left her _dios mio_ [my God] he left her and he didn't know but _still) _and the thought of Cheshire being killed because of his mistake was sickening.

"She didn't run. She wouldn't do that."

"What we do next is none of your concern. You failed in your duty to monitor Evo X and the necessary precautions must be taken to ensure safety. Need I remind you what Evo X is capable of?" Rex snarled. "You remind us constantly! What has she done since, huh? What makes you thing she would even imagine hurting someone? She's not a danger and she didn't run away. She's trapped." Rex turned to Holiday, panic in his lively brown eyes. "Doc, she's probably hurt. That's why she hasn't come back. She can't! They've somehow got her pinned!" Or worse, Dr. Holiday thought grimly before looking back at White with a new determination. He was not going to stop her from helping these kids.

_Her _kids.

"I request permission to enter the airspace over Kiev. Just close enough for us to get a quick scan of the area. I should be able to pick up on the unique signature of one of Cheshire's landings if she's still there. We'll simply leave without engaging any hostiles if she isn't located within Kiev. But if she is I want a crack team to back me." White didn't respond.

"Think of it this way," Rex piped up again "if she manages to leave by herself, do you really want her running free?"

"Fine. You have one hour." White's snapped response was followed by the screen shutting off. Breathing a sigh of relief, Holiday continued giving orders to surrounding soldiers, barking when they didn't move fast enough for her taste.

"And where are you going?" She caught Rex before he could escape. He gave her a weak smile. "I'm going to get a shirt. I think I'll need one on this mission." Holiday frowned.

"You're not going. Not while you're still injured." Rex raised an eyebrow.

"Doc, either you take me or I leave without you. I have to find Cheshire." His tone wasn't angry; it was truthful.

Her eyes snapped back open, moments before NoFace cracked her shield open. She'd lost track of time, her body was going numb, she was no longer sure if she was awake or hallucinating.

"Not this time. Try again tomorrow," Cheshire mumbled to her opponent. The faceless evo was silent, patiently sitting on its side of the field once more. After the first day with no sign of Providence, it had relaxed somewhat, deciding to bide its time and wait for Cheshire to tire herself out. While it hadn't believed she had the stamina to remain conscious for over twenty-four hours, it was obvious she was weakening. As the hours wore on, Cheshire had gone from standing to sitting, the dome shrinking as her exhaustion grew.

A black fist clenched.

She refused to die here.

No, no, no, no.

She'd died once already. Wasn't that enough?

"So back to my story." To keep herself awake, Cheshire had taken to telling an uncaring NoFace stories. The lead evo had deemed it unnecessary for its entire horde to guard one stubborn girl so Cheshire felt no stage fright performing for an audience of one.

"There was a wedding. Did I already say that? But a giant fish, like the size of Mount Rushmore totally tried to eat the bride and-"

"Surrender." NoFace interrupted Cheshire, and her tired eyes widened slightly.

This was the first time it had spoken to her in quite some time. She scraped up the strength to smile. "You know I can't. You would kill me considering I won't help you guys."

"The Before have abandoned you as well. You own them nothing." Wow. None of NoFace's words were laced with the venom and anger of the past. They were merely insightful, like it had spent a long time steeling its resolve.

The worst part is it actually struck a nerve.

"They haven't abandoned me." NoFace was silent. "They haven't! They're probably searching for me right now!"

"You have been abandoned, forgotten. Just as we were. Left behind. In pain." Cheshire clenched her eyes shut before prying them back open. She was so tired. Her body's numbness was the ghost of a pain so intense she knew she wouldn't survive the next wave. NoFace's 'no more fighting solution' sounded good to exhausted ears.

Seeing the uncertainty on her face, the larger evo stood, slowly approaching. "Hate them. They hate _us."_

"I-I can't. Rex-"

"_Abandoned _you. Left you alone." NoFace put a large hand on the dome that encased Cheshire. "He is with the Before. He _belongs _with the Before. You are different. He does not see the flames. The hatred. You know. You see." Cheshire licked dry lips, her vision dimming in the corners. She knew she wouldn't be able to wake herself when it reached the center of her eye.

"This world can burn. We will burn it. We survive. _You _survive. You know how," a hole, barely big enough for NoFace to slip an arm through, appeared on Cheshire's defense. The evo reached for her, patting her head almost gently as it continued speaking. She really didn't want the large, clawed fingers to be soothing as they combed through her hair.

"Alone."

Why was she crying?

"B-but, I don't _want _to be alone." The hole was larger now, NoFace squeezing in another hand to tease it even larger. The powerful limbs tugged at Cheshire lightly, encouraging her to just let go.

"The Before trap you. Enslave you. Why stay?" The pain was coming back anyway. Either way-

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!"

A large metal fist collided with NoFace just as it was about to yank Cheshire from her sanctuary. The dome repaired itself almost immediately, weakened but whole once more.

"Cheshire!"

"Rex!" Cheshire felt a rush of adrenaline and happiness as she recognized her partner sprinting towards her. NoFace tackled him before he could reach the little dome, the two evos brawling on the ground.

Angry nanites approaching. NoFace's army knew of the intruder. "Rex! Run!" Cheshire shouted. There wasn't much left in her. But there was enough to process the fact that there would soon be hundreds of pissed evos flooding the little room. Rex slammed a punk busting foot into NoFace. "Not without you!"

"You idiot!" She grinned. Despite her efforts they were now both trapped. How funny. Cheshire cringed as one of the walls to the underground room collapsed, a large evo crashing through.

On top of it, wrenching one of his katana from its single red eye, was Elfman.

The loss of that one wall compromised the structural integrity of the entire area, the roof crumbling above their heads.

"Rex!"

"Busy!" In response, Six threw his katana into NoFace's back, causing the evo to roar in fury and pain. Rex smashed a smack hand into it, forcing it back as he formed the Boogie Pack. Six grabbed one of Rex's propellers as the roof finished collapsing, the boy evo snagging Cheshire before she could be crushed.

The resulting hole in the ceiling revealed the night sky, blurred by the shield surrounding the bug jar. The stars were impossible to see, but the large full moon was shining dimly above their heads.

"Dr. Holiday. Ready for pick-up." Six's voice was calm as Rex evaded attacking evos, rising higher and higher into the sky. A flying evo that looking similar to a large cicada approached only to be reflected by the now invisible bubble. A very weak, very thin version of Cheshire's original shield had encased Rex and Six when they grabbed her. Cheshire was drifting in and out of consciousness from her spot in Rex's arms but was aware when the bug jar opened for a brief second, allowing them to escape into a hovering airship.

Finally at rest, Cheshire released her shield.

And screamed.

Fierce, sudden _agony_ was released into her system, eyes clouding with tears of pain. Scared Rex held her close. "Cee! What's wrong? Cee!" She couldn't respond, body going into convulsions as she bit her lip until it bled.

Pain, pain, pain, PAIN!

It was like being torn apart from the inside, a stinging, burning torture she couldn't escape. That never ended.

Dr. Holiday surrendered the controls to Captain Calan, running over to the cringing Cheshire and panicking Rex. Glowing veins of blue and red appeared over Cheshire's body and she gasped. She gagged but her stomach was empty, and she choked on bile as it ran back down her throat.

"Calan! Back to the Keep!" Six shouted, helping Rex to keep Cheshire still. Blinded by suffering, Cheshire was dangerous, claws and tail whipping violently against her restrainers. It was a struggle to pin her arms and legs as Holiday blinked a flashlight into her dilated pupils.

"Rodger that! Crazy speed is a go!"

It HURTS! She just wants to END it all because THIS isn't worth the HURT.

Cheshire gave a loud, pained moan, lying horribly still as her eyes rolled back into her skull. "CEE!"

Dr. Holiday rubbed her temples, staring at the data before her. She took a sip of her espresso.

She didn't know what to do.

In the next room over was an unconscious Cheshire and a nervous, guilty Rex.

And she didn't know what to say.

The girl's nanites were…strange. She appeared to be in control of them most of the time, and she had a certain, chaotic mastery of her abilities. And yet now they were attacking her body.

Dr. Holiday suspected it was a type of rebound, a bounce back created by Cheshire's overuse of her powers. She called upon her nanites to increase their output to ridiculous levels, and now they weren't returning to normal. The second she released them from their duties, the over-stimulated nanites went to work on a self assigned task; attacking their host for some unforeseen reason.

So now Cheshire was in the worst pain of her life as the nanites worked their way through her nervous system, processing her entire body. It was only a matter of time before they worked they way to her circulatory system and onward into her heart.

"There's only one thing to do," the doctor said grimly, watching Cheshire face. It was folding in pain again, the painkillers being broken down by her nanites. Dr. Holiday was afraid that giving her more would kill her.

"You have to cure her, Rex." Rex jumped, looking at Holiday with widened eyes. He was tired too. He refused to venture outside of Holiday's lab the past two days.

"But if I cure her, she won't be able to leave like she does. She won't be…free anymore." Holiday put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But if you don't, she's going to die. We have to believe she would want to exchange her powers for her life." Rex thought back to the fierce panic and sadness on Cheshire's face when she was in the Hole. Her loss of hope.

Maybe she would prefer to be dead.

Rex shook the thought from his head, horrified. No way. "Yeah." He placed a hand on her clammy arm. "I'm so sorry, Cee. I should've believed in you."

He heard her nanites -ordered, chaotic, fast, sluggish- and ordered them to stop. Ordered them to reset. A part of him was surprised it was working. He had believed Cheshire when she said she wouldn't let him cure her, and had taken that to mean she was an incurable. But then again, the only reason Peter Meechum had been incurable was because he willed himself to be; Cheshire seemed like she could be that stubborn when needed.

After what felt like an eternity of working his way through Cheshire's nanites, Rex opened his eyes and watched as the black of her face was restored to its normal, creamy brown. But, of course, it didn't stop there.

Her ears began to shrink into hair that was turning darker by the second. Soon it was a deep brown color, ebony curls surrounding a relaxing face. Claws that had been digging into the bed returned to normal fingers with blunt nails. When the girl opened her eyes they were so brown they were almost black.

Rex gasped slightly and pulled his hand back, startled by the eyes looking back up at him tiredly.

Cheshire was beautiful.

It was a lot to swallow, considering he had been forcing the knowledge that she was female to the back of his mind this whole time.

"Rex?"

All at once, her hair was blonde again, eyes blue, ears back to size. Her eyes widened slightly before closing again, Cheshire unable to resist sleep a second more.

"What just happened?" Rex asked after several moments of silence. Dr. Holiday seemed just as surprised as he was. "I guess she's incurable."

"Yeah. But…that was…she was…argh! Is she okay now?" Dr. Holiday examined one of the many machines in the room, too deep in thought to notice Rex's confused speaking patterns. "For now, at least. We won't be able to tell until she wakes up." Cheshire sighed in her sleep. Rex echoed and face planted onto her bed. "Wake me in thirty minutes Doc. I have to put her in her own room." He yawned hugely into the mattress.

"She hates hospitals."


	10. Chapter 10

**BB says: **And another chapter for you! And this one is the big one zero. You know what that means!

DANCE PARTY! *dances and totally fails at it*

The guest of honor at my totally awesome party is the one, the only, the magical pony, InvaderClo! *applause* InvaderClo is not only a devoted fan of both my DGM and GR fanfiction, but also went out and made an amazing illustration of my sweet Cheshire. For this, InvaderClo receives the first dance of the evening, with the lovely Zahara! (From my DGM fanfic ^^).

…

Zahara's not here?…

Damn that gypsy…

Then a dance with Cheshire!

….

What do you mean she's chasing butterflies?

STUPID CAT!

Then…ummmm….a dance with…Kanda? *receives evil glare* FINE! MORE INVADERCLO FOR ME! o

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Alice in Wonderland _or Generator Rex. I am, however, now in possession of a lovely portrait of Cheshire ^^. I know I keep talking about it, but I'm in love X3.

**Rating: **Teen.

_"In a Wonderland they lie, Dreaming as the days go by, Dreaming as the summers die: Ever drifting down the stream- Lingering in the golden gleam- Life, what is it but a dream?" _

~ Lewis Carroll

Allison Bell's bedtime was nine o'clock sharp so she would get plenty of sleep before school the next day. She was a rising seventh grader, a pre-teen in her own right, and needed all the sleep she could get for her growing body. A body stretching and twisting uncomfortably into a lanky limbs and angular features, a face that looked more and more like her mother's everyday.

This night, like every night for the past week, was different.

Her grandmother turned off the hall light, yawning as she shut the door to the bedroom she shared with her husband. It had been one of those days, when breakfast burned, the car wouldn't start, and that bitch Carol cancelled book club. The only reason was because she felt her time was better spent at her grandchild's rehearsal. Who watches _rehearsal? _Honestly. Nana Bell fumed to her husband, who had listened (somewhat), nodding half-heartedly as he nursed his beer and watched a reality show. You know the one with the people with no talent? That one.

Allison's mother was addicted to painkillers and speed; in and out of rehab for the past five years. The little girl was sent to live with her grandparents in Ashley, North Dakota. Because her father was gone long before she was born and her mother showed no sign of improving her behavior, Allison was left to be raised by a bipolar grandmother and the grandfather who still loved her.

At nine Allison was sent to bed.

At ten she slipped out from beneath her covers.

Hidden in the fridge, right behind the milk, the ceasar salad and a carton of cheap beer, was a plate of dinner. Allison claimed she wasn't hungry. She wasn't completely lying -she had filled up on snack cakes she stuck from the kitchen- but she was being a wee bit deceitful. The plate would be empty come morning.

She nuked the food in the microwave and yanked on her slippers, brushing her long, sandy blonde hair out of her face. This would be the last night. Her new friend said she would be gone by morning.

It wasn't too cold that night, it was actually quite accommodating for the girl as she made her way to her tree house. The night was clear, the moon a finger nail clip in the sky. The young girl could see each and every star from the yard of her grandparents little home. She didn't know the constellations. She spent her entire science class passing notes and thinking about the lunch she would eat later. So it was unlikely that she would ever take the time to see more than sparkling diamonds high above her head.

The tree house was practically new, built for Allison's previous birthday. Her Pop-pop had spent months on it and it still turned out crooked and unstable. Allison loved it anyway. Her visitor had set up camp there by chance, and had been planning to leave after a stay spanning a single night. But Allison had threatened to scream and bring her grandparents running out to her if the strange being didn't stay longer.

Grinning, her odd friend consented, warning Allison that it couldn't be contained long. Although Allison had promised to let the thing go after week was over, she still considered another threat to make the time last longer. She would be lying if she said it hadn't been fun.

The thing was strange and childlike, eagerly running and playing with Allison like she was the most fun it had had in a long time. It made Allison feel special, needed. She didn't have many close friends at school. Everyone treated her like she was fragile because her daddy was gone and her mommy was an addict.

"Are you there? I brought you some dinner." There was a scuffling sound that Allison recognized as the being's claws scraping against the wood.

It grinned when it saw her.

"Hello, Alice dear. What gifts have you brought today?" Its voice was grainy and hoarse, its skin black as pitch beneath filthy white hair that nearly glowed in the dark tree house. It was no taller than Allison herself, and it wore the tattered remains of what looked like pink flannel pajamas. It was barefoot.

The build of the creature (the t.v. called them evos) was decidedly female. Even Allison could see that. Its body hinted at premature curves, its fingers and toes slight and dainty. Even its dirty face was prettily carve, filthy though it was.

But it felt wrong to think of the evo as a girl. It felt wrong to think of it as human. That grin was too wide, its eyes _glowed_ and she had seen it do things that no living thing could. It had ears and a tail and claws like a cat, but spoke and walked and talked like a human. Like some sort of mutant. It was almost like a creature from a nightmare, always smiling and easily hidden in the dark.. If it hadn't been midday when they met, Allison probably would've screamed and given away its hiding place right away.

The sound of the cellophane being opened woke Allison from her daydream. The evo stuck its finger into the meatloaf, delicately liking the gravy off in a shockingly lady-like gesture. "Nana makes great meatloaf. It's her specialty." The evo looked at her with a smile, eyes glowing. "Its delicious. Quite hospitable of you, Alice." Allison kind of liked the nickname the evo had given her. Although it had never given her its name.

"Do you have to go? I mean, you could stay with me…if you wanted." Allison looked down awkwardly. The evo didn't stop eating, but she felt its gaze, cold and surprisingly hard against her skull. Like the evo was looking right into her soul The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she was afraid for some unforeseen reason.

She had the briefest impression that the evo was more dangerous than it appeared. But the feeling was gone before she could analyze it further.

"No," its voice was light, its eyes heavy. "I drift. This life is a dream, you see, and I don't want to wake up." It shoved the empty plate at Allison, standing and cracking its back. "Staying here is like an alarm clock, and a raven is like a writing desk." Allison blinked. "But how is a bird like a desk?" She thought she saw the evo wink, jumping as she noticed its legs were gone.

"I haven't the slightest clue. Perhaps you should ask the Hatter, Alice." Only its head remained, grinning down at the seated Allison. "But of course, there is no true answer. No truth in this world. Only trial and sin. That comes later," only its mouth "in Wonderland."

"Hello, hello, greeting and tidings." The man startled, eyes wide as he looked up. In a tree.

Above his head sat what appeared to be a young child, no older than twelve, gazing down at his with eyes too blue for its complexion. A complexion too dark to be human. A smirk on its face. "Y-you're-"

"Stuck in a tree? No. I'm actually quite comfortable." Its grin broadened and it licked its claw-like hand with a long pink tongue. The man turned, trying to run, only to find his feet stuck to the ground. His shaggy blond hair whipped around his face as he tried to pull himself out of this invisible trap, smoggy blue eyes widened in surprise and fear. The man looked up and down the abandoned road, growing desperate "You're trying to leave? But why?" Its voice, rough and honey coated, was suddenly at his shoulder, the evo standing beside him. It didn't even come to his shoulder. It truly was a child.

He _detested_ children. That's why he left North Dakota.

"I like stories. Do you?" The evo put its hand in his like they were old friends. "I used to like to hear them too. But my narrator lost his mind. In more ways than one." The smile disappeared for an instant, accenting its dangerous, hollow eyes. "So now I have you." The man clenched his eyes shut, shaking and sweating. Who…what was this? Why him? Why now?

It pulled him into a hug and he was powerless to resist. It smelled of grass and sweat, its hair sour scented and dirty gray from weeks without a decent wash. It buried its head in the shoulder of his black wind breaker, breath penetrating to his flesh as it sighed. "P-please," he tried to force authority into his voice. The monster had obviously retained some of it humanity, or it wouldn't be able to speak. "W-what do you want?" His eye lids were pried opened by some invisible force. He was horrified by how close the evo was, its grin close enough to bite off his nose. He glanced down. It was _floating_. And was that…a tail?

"A bike. A nice, pretty, pink one. With flowers and butterflies. I want you to buy it _tonight_ because Thursday is my birthday and I _want it_." It circled him. "It had better be at this address by Thursday," it forced a slip of crumpled paper into his hand. "Say its from…the Hatter."

"But-" The evo's hand hovered in front of his mouth, not touching but getting its point across. The evo leaned in again.

"I'll find you. Disobey and I'll find you." The sweet was gone from its voice, all that was left was the rough growl.

He swung at the freak, suddenly able to move his body again, only to find it had taken its leave.

"I know everywhere you hide." The voice came from no where. Still shaking, the man opened the paper, reading the address. "But this is…" A giggle, high pitched and only a little crazed, echoed through he night.

"Hip. Hop.

We all gotta stop.

Hi. Bye.

'Cause we all die," a piece of granite floated in front of its face, its only source of entertainment while everyone slept. It was slowly tearing it apart, ripping off one piece at a time. It sorta wanted to sleep -some of the pain would go away and that woman in its dreams would come back- but the dreams became nightmares too quickly. Embracing arms became cages. Kisses burned it worse than Hellfire, voices weeping and begging for and against it

"Talk. Speak.

We must be weak.

Cease. Go.

Hate and not know," it hoped Alice liked her present. She said she needed a new bike since her mommy ran over her last one. Maybe this time she would be able to keep it forever! And in a million years people would look at it and wonder what beings had created such a thing and why and how and when. And then Alice would be in history forever, chronicled like her adventures in this Wonderland.

"Swipe. Steal.

I had a great meal.

Hot. Cold.

I must be bold!" A car roared towards it, going fast; much too fast. The evo watched it coming with a blank look. It made no move to get out of the narrowed road it walked on; it was enjoying straddling the line. The car either didn't see the pedestrian or didn't care, barreling on.

It stopped when it crashed into a barrier. The evo walked around the vehicle leaning into the busted window. "You shouldn't go that fast. We're in a neighborhood." The heavily intoxicated man looked at it, a cut on his forehead, just before fainting. His forehead pressed the horn, the loud keen bringing people out of the surrounding houses. The evo didn't have time to react before people started screaming.

"You shouldn't be wasting time yelling. I think he's hurt." No one heard it, they were all too busy shouting and what was that sound? That sound? Like a cracking…a locking…a loading…almost like…

One of the back windows burst in the car, shattered by a shotgun. The gunman, in a blue bathrobe and boxers, reloaded. A woman cowered behind him, holding a young child close. A family?

The evo felt a pain so fierce its vision blurred, and it gasped. The crowd didn't understand, didn't know. The gasp was a hiss. Another shot was fired, this one barely missing its toes.

"Someone call the police!"

"Fuck that, it killed a man!"

"Shoot it Keith! Kill it!"

It wasn't sure where it landed this time, but it was too tired to leave again. There were huge trees surrounding it, flanking it on every side. It leaned on one, comforted by the presence of something so old and sturdy. "Hi," it panted into the bark. "I'm alone. Can I be a tree too?" As expected, the foliage didn't respond. Tears of exhaustion streamed down the evo's face, mingling with its grin. "I promise I'll be good. I'll eat all my dinner and go to bed on time and keep quiet when your friends come over. But you can't leave me, 'kay? And you can't hide me. Just be here. When I wake up. And go to sleep. And don't hurt me…" Silence. "Because you know you have to keep me safe. That's what families do. Because they love each other. I'll love you, if you want." The evo sniffled a bit, its sobs the only sound in the sleeping forest.

"M-my name? My name is…is…" That name no longer fit. Its tongue knew it, wanted to say it, shout it to the world. But that name was dead. "My name is…is…" and it didn't like zombies. Those scary movies were terrible! So it couldn't bring something back to life. "Cheshire. Cheshire. Cheshire."

She could almost imagine the trees reaching for her, feel their braches caress and embrace her in a gentle hug. She didn't like to be touched, but her new family wasn't like the others. They didn't hate her. They accepted her.

A roar caught her attention.

It was at least fifteen feet tall, with a long, whipping, fluffy tail. Its eyes were furious and burning red. Razor-sharp teeth gnashed dangerously. There was no fur on its body and rippling sinew pushed against thin flesh.

Cheshire grinned so hard it was a snarl, cocking her head to the side. "Hi. I'm Cheshire." It growled and lunged at her, bashing its head into a tree as she dodged clumsily. Cheshire sighed. She was tired now; sleep didn't seem so bad anymore. So she would have to take care of this over eager beaver (fine. _Squirrel_) before she got any sleep.

Snore.

Snore.

Snore.

"CRISPY TACOS!"

"OW! Cheshire!" Rex glared up at the girl, who happened to be straddling his waist. On his bed. He was too tired to be embarrassed. "What are you doing?" Cheshire grinned. "Waking you up. We have a meeting at eight."

"Great. Another hour of sleep." Rex pulled his covers over his head, ignoring her pout. "Don't be stupid," the sweet tone hid the insult "you know it takes you an hour just to take a shower." Don't respond, Rex said to himself, she's just trying to bug you. "I mean seriously, it doesn't take _me _that long and I have to shave_ and _do my hair. You're like the diva sister I never-"

"WHAT? _I'm _the diva? We're usually late because _you_ can't decide what shirt to wear although they all LOOK. THE. SAME!"

"No they don't! They're all different colors and I have to dress according to my mood!"

"That's stupid! Why the Hell would _anyone_ want to waste time doing that?"

"You're a waste of time!"

"And your comebacks suck!"

"Fuck you!"

"You know you want to!"

"You wish!" They glared at each other, the air between their eyes igniting into flames. The effect was ruined by Cheshire's sudden and very pleased smile. "Got you up." Rex frowned. "Please. I got myself up."

"Da Nile."

"What?"

"It's more than a river." Rex snarled. "Off!" With a twist of his body, he pushed Cheshire off the bed and onto the ground. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You hit me first! "I was _trying_ to wake you up!" Rex sighed and swung his feet over the edge of his bed. They were both cranky in the morning, and it was usually a bad idea to let one wake the other. Poor Six had learned this the hard way in a rather unfortunate alarm clock incident. Admittedly, he had dodged most of the time piece as Cheshire chucked it at Rex, but the face caught him across the cheek. He was forced to walk around with numbers imbedded in his skin for _hours._

Rex's hair was a bed headed mess, sleep still crusted at the edge of his eyes. He stood slowly, tiredly, stretching and scratching. "Hey. Rex?" He opened one eye, looking at Cheshire. "Hn?" She shrugged, suddenly finding her toes interesting. She was still in her pajamas, a huge man's t-shirt and microscopic shorts. He wondered where she had gotten the frog slippers.

"I, um. Here!" she shot her hand under his nose, making him jump. He blinked at her offering.

Goggles?

"It's my fault you lost your last pair," Cheshire smiled gently, looping the band around his head. She smiled wider. "So I thought it was only right to get you a new pair." Rex really didn't want to think about how she had lost his goggles. Those days of uncertainty. That was the past (a week, but still) and he wanted to let it go.

The goggles were pretty cool, though.

He smiled back at her. "Thanks Cee. You didn't have to; I lose goggles all the time."

"I know. But never because of me." Rex shrugged, looking down at the goggles resting on his neck. "Flames, huh?"

"That or flowers."

"Maybe I would've liked those better."

"Maybe you would like me to shove my foot up your ass." They smiled at each other, their crankiness and early morning meeting forgotten for a moment.

Rex frowned.

"Wait. What's a crispy taco?"

"A wake up call."


	11. Chapter 11

**BB says:** It's almost Christmas! And I'm freaking out about gifts! Next year, everyone gets a freaking $5 gift card to Target. I'm totally serious. I can't take the drama anymore. It's the thought that counts anyway.

**Rating: **Teen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex or Lewis Carroll or _Alice in Wonderland._ I do have a headache. You can have it if you want.

_"It would be so nice if something made sense for a change," __~ Lewis Carroll _

Agent Six wasn't, contrary to popular belief, a soulless machine. He did have feelings, he did have opinions, and yes, he _did _have eyes behind those dark glasses. It was rare one could ever be close enough to him to ever discover any of these facts, but the truth remained that Six was a man of little words and average emotions. He just had more control than most.

For example, when the second child he had saved from White was thrust into Providence, he felt irritated that he became her "nanny" too. It wasn't a surprise -anyone could've seen it coming- but it was annoying none the less. He felt himself growing softer and softer the longer he was exposed to Rex, so adding a second factor to the equation would not be in his best interest.

Simply put, more kids equals softer Six.

Squeaky soft.

Like a bunny.

And this softer Six was all the more ticked by his softness.

Not that anyone knew about his slowly decreasing density. Except maybe Holiday. She probably knew and was greatly amused by the fact Six found himself thinking with his emotions more often. She probably also knew how much he secretly liked becoming more human. The farther he got from his past, all the lives he had to take to be sixth in the world, the easier living everyday became. The connections he created anchored him, ensuring that a life as a murderer would not appeal to him any longer. He shuddered to remember the days when the only thing to look forward to was killing numbers.

So Six let these kids and this life latch onto him. Let them smile at him and beg him for snacks and ask what color his eyes were. Burning bridges was a waste of matches.

But deeper emotions connected to those around him remained wrapped in a titanium shell, a fusion of past and present limitations. No one could read Six because allowing one's thoughts to become legible would be certain death, mind and soul. And Six wasn't ready to die.

"Elfman, I hate it when you ignore me." Cheshire pouted. Six remained silent. "Miss Holiday is pretty cool. And I think," he heard her lean in like she was sharing a juicy secret "she likes you. So maybe, if you guys are still alive at the end of all this evo mess, you could go for coffee?" Six swallowed his sigh. "We drink coffee in the lounge daily Cheshire."

"You know what I mean." Yes, he did, but that didn't mean he would acknowledge it. "And now is not the time to be analyzing the completely professional relationship between myself and Holiday." Maybe not. But Cheshire had no sense of timing.

"This is as good a time as any; I have you pinned." Actually, it was the collapsing building that Cheshire was barely holding up that had Six pinned. He could hear the strain in her voice as she spoke, 100,000 tons of steel and stone bearing down on her shoulders. While there was no way she was holding the entire building, there was still a considerable amount of weight to be considered as they sat in the ruined remains of the first floor. Six was tempted to advise her to be quiet and reserve her strength, but focusing on her discomfort would only worsen it; Cheshire needed distractions, and constantly.

They had gone in on a rescue mission as Rex attempted to catch the fire spewing evo running rampant through the building. A race against time to beat the fire, and the evo proved more difficult than originally planned. The flames hit the gas pipes hidden in the walls. Those in the lower stories had been teleported away and…Six could only hope those above had survived.

Cheshire could not teleport herself and Six out of the building before the brunt of her strength went into keeping them from being crushed.

"Is it because she's everything you're not?" Six looked in the direction of Cheshire's voice, the darkness surrounding them thick and cold. "What?"

Cheshire sighed to herself, and Six _knew _(instincts or not) she was grinning into the black. "She's everything that you're not. And could never be. No offense, of course." Six adjusted himself -trying to ease the pressure on his sprained wrist- and blinked into the silence. "That's good. I like how you wait for me to sort my thoughts. You need to teach Rex that; he interrupts me all the freaking time. In any case, when you were recruited for Providence, what did you think they wanted you for? Kill those who funded the nanite project? Eliminate those who opposed the construction of the anti-evo military? Or did you believe yourself to be just another mercenary for their ranks?"

Cheshire adjusted in the dark, and Six decided to let her believe he didn't hear her moan under the strain. He had personally overseen her rehabilitation after her bout in the Bug Jar, watched her rebuild and improve her powers. He was just beginning to understand the limitations and effort she shared with no one else. That was how he knew she could only hold about twenty tons and only for a limited amount of time.

Cheshire probably knew Six was analyzing her. And probably didn't care.

"But you were so much more. From the start, I think. Getting better all the time." There must've been disbelief in his silence, because she continued speaking. "Don't believe me? Then why did you stop at six? Surely you're strong enough to be one if you chose to. But you couldn't take it anymore, you weren't like the others. Those who did it for sport. The only reason you went _this _far was because you were caught in the tide. Because you refused to back down when the last Six challenged you." The solemn tone left Cheshire's voice. "Course this is just a theory. I just like to analyze things. I could be ridiculously far off right now. Or maybe you're asleep right now and I'm talking to myself. Don't worry, it wouldn't be the first time; I make terrible conversation."

It was hard to believe this girl was only seventeen. There was a strange depth to her character Six rarely saw in most adults, a deep chasm that he knew could easily drag others in. It wasn't the dark that was to be feared as much as the depth. A sharp, dangerous edge to the girl that no one could quite place although they must've felt it.

He remembered the video that had originally called attention to "Evo X." It had been taped by a civilian, someone who couldn't believe what they were seeing on a casual Saturday two years ago.

A large, saucer shaped evo was _sawing _at the base of a building with serrated scales. People were running, screaming, and having panic attacks as the thirty story structure began to give way, leaning dangerously towards the crowded street. Those below looked up in horror as those within made peace with their deaths.

And then she appeared.

One in a million, identifiable in the crowd because she was floating high above their heads. And taking pictures.

Those in the Keep's control room watched the tape, too hypnotized to speak, as she flew higher, to the last floor, and place her hand on it. The entire floor collapsed. One by one, floors collapsed into a powder-like substance, until the entire building was undone, a mountain of material and office supplies.

As the crowd drew in a collective breath to continue screaming, people began climbing out of the powder, whole, shocked but alive. The evo was no where to be found. They found out later she had reduced the former house cat to dust as well.

Needless to say, knowledge of such a girl was…unsettling. The thought of such raw power connected to a child's body was a sure shot of panic. The ability to generate such a talent, to refine it to protect the humans within a building while also eliminating all dangerous elements was, at the very least, incredible. Staplers, paper clips, pens, folders all survived but desks, chairs, refrigerators were all demolished. Anything that could've fallen on someone and injured them. Cheshire must've had to force her efforts into a hypothetical sifter for such accuracy.

Rex hadn't seen the video. He had fallen asleep during the meeting (as usual) and missed Cheshire's showcase of abilities. He had yet to realize the danger Cheshire put everyone in by simply being around them. Six doubted _Cheshire_ knew. So he could never fault her for her careless. He merely insisted upon being present as she trained, giving her advice and tips to meditate and hone her skills.

The naiveté sparked the appeal of the girl. Her level of interference had been unmeasured and unintentionally blatant. She had probably forgotten about it altogether.

And the strange needling of her questions didn't appear to be on purpose either. It was more likely the budding of an intellectual who may someday be on par with Holiday.

If she chose.

Cheshire didn't seem like the triple PHD type.

Her intelligence seemed to be twisting around itself, corrupted like a double helix. It wasn't directed in the same sense as Holiday's mind. The young evo's psyche seemed to be spastic and random.

"What are you? Where did you come from?" There was nothing accusatory in Six's voice, nothing hateful. It was a question as casual as an inquiry about a sports game. Cheshire grinned. He could hear her dry lips slide along her teeth. "I'm Cheshire. _Et toi _(and you)?"

"Found them!" The sunlight finally broke through the rubble, exposing Six's slight frown and Cheshire's smile. "It's about time. You guys trying to make me rebound _again?"_ The faceless Providence grunt jumped and stuttered. Callan laughed off Cheshire's comment. "Come on. You weren't even in that long."

"But I'm hungry. And Six owes me donuts." Callan looked over at the green suited man climbing out of the wreckage and dusting himself off. The raised eyebrow spoke volumes. "I wouldn't bank on them donuts. Maybe the cafeteria has some mac and cheese left."

"But it tastes like rubber! Damn it Six! Make good on your word!" His word was Cheshire asking for donuts and him not responding. She took that as a yes.

"Six! Cee!" Rex ran over to them, relief blatant. There was scorch marks on his jacket, minor burns on his face, and little rings of smoke marked where he had been wearing his goggles around his eyes. The smile on his face wasn't very wide, but the happiness was apparent as he came to stand by Cheshire.

Six noted how the girl's face softened at her partner's approach, her body relaxing. "You guys alright?"

"Did you get the evo?" Six was right to business as usual.

"Of course he did, Elfman. Let's get donuts!"

"Or, better yet, pizza!"

Oh God. He had to stop saving kids from White.

"Is everyone alright?" Six would never admit it, but Holiday's voice calmed him almost instantly. It was nearly enough to smooth the scowl etching into his mouth. He pressed his finger to his communicator. "We're alive. Cheshire kept most of the building from caving on to us and teleported survivors before the collapse. What about the civilians on the upper levels?" Holiday sighed. "Those who made it out were taken to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation and minor injuries. The rest weren't so lucky, I'm afraid." The tone in her voice didn't go unnoticed, and the reminder of what had transpired this day settled back on their shoulders.

Woe for those who died.

Shame at not getting there in time.

Six could see the same emotions play on the faces of his young charges. "You tried your best. That's all you can give." He honestly didn't know why he felt the need to comfort them, it just felt right. Rex nodded but Cheshire remained still, looking at her feet critically.

"Cee?" She shrugged, wrinkling her nose. She spoke after a few seconds of silence. "Something's wrong." Rex crinkled his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?" He had to lean in to hear her. "The numbers aren't right. I thought there were more, but the fire evo was muddling my senses. Something's not right, Rex."

"Sheesh what mumbo jumbo she spouting now?" Callan asked like Rex was the resident translator. Rex ignored him, barely conscious of Six glancing around for the threat Cheshire spoke of. "You have to be clear Cee. We don't know what you're talking about." The girl took a deep breath, speaking loudly and carefully.

"The numbers. Don't. Make sense. When we first got here, I felt several evos in the area. The closer we got the less I felt. I thought I was zeroing in on the evo but now…" she trailed off, looking into space.

"Are you saying some got away?" Cheshire shook her head, eyes closed. "It was probably nothing. Old radar's getting a bit rust-" A swirling red circle appeared beneath Cheshire, Rex's hand the only thing that saved her from falling in. After a brief battle with the portal, Rex yanked Cheshire away, covering her with his body as a rain of crystals shot from the hole. The vortex resealed, only to reappear floating in the middle of the air.

Not to be caught off guard again, Six unsheathed his katana and ignored the throbbing pain of his wrist.

Cheshire sincerely regretted not doing her homework as a huge metallic werewolf tackled Six. Boltdog? Beachwhelp? Something like that. Either way, he had been rescued from Providence's facilities hardly a week earlier.

From the way Six was fighting the blue dog -predicting each other's moves like it was a science- this wasn't their first encounter. The green ninja easily parried the creatures claws while not landing any blows.

Another crystal shower made Cheshire erect a shield, saving the unprepared amongst the Providence soldiers. Despite her haste, both she and Rex were sporting deep lacerations as the large green lizard stomped out of the portal. Its head was on sideways, saliva streaming down its thick neck, and its right arm was the willowing opposite of its gargantuan left. It glared at Rex and Cheshire with a disdainful grey eye, blocking the fire of Providence agents with the large crystal it had for a left hand. Behind the reptile emerged an all too familiar evo that grinned at them as it swaggered onto the scene.

Hyde.

"Sup guys." He threw a car at Rex, who caught the automobile with a smack hand. Cheshire made to help, a nearby fire hydrant shaking as she wrenched it from the ground, but a loud screech sent her flailing into the side of a building. For the second time that day, Cheshire was buried in rubble.

"Ow. And here I thought we really hit it off."

"You thought wrong." Cheshire could practically see the sound waves as they roared towards her, and she flattened herself to the ground in an attempt to dodge. While they didn't hit her directly, they left a ringing in her ears that threw off her equilibrium, leaving her vulnerable to another attack.

She attempted to gain the high ground, floating above another scream.

"What's with you? Why the random fury?" Cheshire swooped in close, missing as she attempted to kick Circe. She was too surprised to save herself as Circe grabbed her leg, holding her still as a sonic blast hit her full force. Cheshire went tumbling to the ground several feet away, clutching at her sensitive ears. She was seeing double, the echo rebounding off the corners of her skull.

"Cheshire!" Even the sound of Rex calling her name hurt. She cracked open one eye and watched Circe approach.

"Circe?" Rex registered just who was attacking his partner as Hyde clipped him in the side with a street lamp. Six was being forced back by his canine foe, the exhaustion from their previous mission weighing him down, and the green lizard man was mowing down Providence agents like a weed whacker.

Considering this had been a long day and everyone was tired, Cheshire couldn't help but feel the Pack knew exactly what they were doing when they appeared.

Circe turned over the cringing Cheshire with her foot, the long tubular appendage she considered a mouth still pointed at the blonde evo.

"You set us up. Not cool," Cheshire slurred, feeling light headed as the gothic girl pressed her heel into her chest.

"You left us no choice. If you won't join us, you have to be eliminated." Cheshire grinned. "Rex too?" Circe hesitated, the weight on her foot lessening.

Seeing her chance, Cheshire brought her leg up, kneeing Circe in the back of the leg and making her lose balance. She rolled herself on top of the girl as the siren struck her across the face with a balled fist. Feeling a flicker of temper, Cheshire crashed her forehead into the other girl's, the pain decreased by the knowledge she had hurt her opponent as much as she hurt herself.

The brunette backhanded Cheshire in the temple, worsening her dizziness, before rolling them both over again. Grabbing the blonde evo's collar, Circe extended her mouth once more, trying to hit the girl point blank with another screech. Thinking fast, Cheshire landed a rather harsh blow to the other girl's throat just before sound could emerge. As Circe choked on oxygen and saliva, Cheshire landed a swift and solid punch to her nose, pushing her off.

Circe landed in a heap, coughing and glaring, blood dripping from her nose. "You," she wheezed "bitch." Another fit of coughing. Cheshire grinned, tail flicking in irritation as she wiped blood from her eyes. She could feel a rather large lump appearing on her forehead. "You started it, big mouth." Just as Cheshire was beginning to enjoy her victory, another red circle appeared below her. With a soft exclamation of shock, Cheshire was sucked in.

She hadn't expected it to be so…twirlly.

The world of Breach, that is. A place between places. All red, surrounding her, constantly in flux, flowing and twining together with brief glimpses of darkness beyond. An ability so similar to her own teleportation and yet worlds different. She wondering if this was what it was like to be in space. An endless nothing, not even gravity to hold her down. The only exception was the fact that she could still breathe. And of course, the fact that she wasn't alone.

The other girl smiled a smile that didn't reach moss green eyes as a hole appeared beneath Cheshire.

Again.

Several miles above the city.

The tired girl let herself plummet for a moment, going over what she knew and what she suspected.

Circe still liked Rex.

Van Kliess was, as of now, trying to kill her (and maybe Rex too).

They didn't know the extent of her abilities.

Breach was sorta creepy. She had the potential to be darkly beautiful, like Circe, but didn't use it. It was a shame really.

Cheshire sighed.

She re-appeared back in the battle, landing on top of the lizard thing. More from shock than anything else, she dug her claws into the evo's flesh, holding on for dear life as it thrashed. "Let go! Argh!" Its voice was as slimy and wet as Cheshire thought it would be, with the drool and all. She ignored its commands, digging her claws even deeper and hiding behind his bulk as Providence continued to fire. They hadn't noticed her.

Cheshire finally leapt off as a large weight crashed into the green evo, catching it across the skull and rendering it unconscious. She was surprised to see the culprit was Hyde, who looked just as shocked as she was. Oh. The mail box must have been meant for her.

Distracted by his error, Hyde failed to notice Rex wrapping his electric whip around his body, running a powerful current along the line.

Now out numbered, multiple portals appeared on the scene as the Pack made ready to retreat; beneath Hyde and the green guy, in front of meta wolf man and Circe. "Hey! You can't just leave!" Cheshire got to her feet, only to be knocked back. She had weakened Circe, but not permanently. The siren had hit her yet again before she leapt to sanctuary.

Through her cracked eyelids, Cheshire saw Rex hesitate, standing between her and the portal Circe had disappeared through, before running over to help her up. His uncertainty bugged her. Or maybe it was her splitting headache. And the fact she was pretty sure one of her ears was bleeding.

The female evo leaned heavily on Rex, her balance shot and her eyes blurring with tears of pain. It felt like rabid birds were pecking at her brain. "You okay Cee?" She looked at him, forcing herself to focus, before easing off him. A long cut split his shirt, blood bubbling up through torn flesh. His left eye was on the verge of swelling closed, the way he was standing favored his right foot. His top lip was swollen and split. Rex looked like he too exhausted to think straight.

"I should be asking you that, Rex. You lose to a blender?" Rex tried to smile but it looked like a sneer. He had to turn to spit blood out of his mouth. Cheshire's damaged ears didn't hear Six walk up to them.

"What was that?" Rex shouted into Cheshire's ear as they sat in med bay. They hadn't spoken since their pick up, and Cheshire was too deep in thought to really notice. Besides, Miss Holiday said it would be several days before her hearing fully returned.

"I don't know. A trap?" Rex scratched the back of his head, wincing as he touched the bump hidden by his hair. "Van Kleiss doesn't just attack randomly. I don't get it." Cheshire shrugged, mirroring his wince as she jostled the bruise between her shoulders.

Circe touched her swelling nose tenderly, cringing at the shock of pain. It wasn't broken, but was already starting to turn purple from bruising. She frowned at the thought of the girl who had giving her the injury, and closed her compact. The girl Van Kleiss was considering to join the Pack.

"My dear Pack," Van Kleiss purred. "We search for the best the evos the world has to offer. From Circe's vocal talents to Hyde's," the yellow evo stopped picking his nose at the sound of his name. "Stupendous strength." Skalamander snorted, rubbing the back of his head. "Everyday our fold grows larger, more diverse. But, similar to the original members of my Pack, this girl is quite unique." Kleiss tapped the edge of his stone throne with his metal hand, deep in thought as he spoke. His vast intelligence -all of which was going towards helping evos- was what kept Circe loyal to the Pack. "I am merely offering her the chance to see just what we are. Without the influence of Rex and Providence to hamper her vision. I'd say after today, I have a pretty good idea of what we can expect from Cheshire."

He saw the look on Circe's face and his smirk grew. "Of course, if Rex comes to us as well, my invitation remains open. After all our little spats, I believe Rex would still be a fine addition to our ranks." Circe pursed her lips, daring to consider an idea that had been hatching in her brain.

Her powers of manipulation had been evolving. She no longer called evos to her, she could also force them to obey her. It was this new talent that had recruited many of the Pack's new members. But even after all the trouble she had been through, all the pain of fighting with Rex, she would rather not _force _him to come to her. He should _want_ to come willingly, his look that spoke of uncertainty lighting up his face as he fell into her arms.

But lately that look hadn't appeared. Or, rather, hadn't seemed as powerful. Circe could see it in his eyes. He was becoming more and more assured Providence was where he needed to be.

Was it _her _fault?

Cheshire?

The mere thought nearly blinded Circe with rage. Like Hell she was going to let Rex be led astray by some blond haired, cat tailed _weirdo. _

Not freak. Circe didn't like that word

_Weirdo_. It was in reference to her personality and the fact that she was a man stealing whore.

"Yes, Van Kleiss." The man grinned, thrilled his plan was coming together.

Soon his Pack would have two new members.


	12. Chapter 12

**BB says: **It's been awhile. Most of you probably thought I was dead. I was. Now I'm a zombie and will eat your brains (or whatever brains this lazy, entitled generation has. Ohhh. I'm so mean XD). Seriously though, I realize I haven't been updated lately and am here to tell you the spontaneous updates will continue. They may even start to get farther between because I'm leaving for school at the end of the month. I'm paying $13,000 per semester. So yes, studying is more important than you ;P.

**Rating: **Teen

**Disclaimer: **I own _nothing_. I don't own Generator Rex or _Alice in Wonderland _or Lewis Carroll. And I gave my last bar of chocolate to my friend...so pathetic.

**BB says some more: **As previously mentioned, my updates may be a little sporadic from here on out. To make it up to you, this chapter is extra long!

_"How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin, How neatly he spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in, With gently smiling jaws!" _

~ Lewis Carroll _The Best of Lewis Carroll_

He held out his hand and gripped the safety bar of the bus. What a day. Seriously. What a tiring, eroding, taxing day at the grocery where he worked. He needed a nap.

"N…." His head snapped up, swiveling on his neck as a sound whispered across his ears. It wasn't enough for him to stop walking, but he slowed for an instant before continuing. Must've been his imagination.

"NO…." There it was again! The couple walking behind him shot the boy an odd look as he froze to look around. Again, there was nothing to see save for the occasional pedestrian (none of which appeared to be speaking) and a car or two. He walked a bit faster.

"NOA….." It sounded like…

"NOAH!" He was tackled by a familiar voice and was barely able to keep them both from toppling to the ground. She had wrapped her arms around his waist, slender hands resting just below his rib cage as she buried her face between his shoulder blades. He shivered at their proximity, too scared to turn his head and look at her, lest she see his blush. Her warm breath was going right through his clothes as she panted from a run he hadn't seen coming. Where had she come from?

Noah's mounting discomfort at their position and his already fatigue ridden body made him grit his teeth.

Not that he didn't like Cheshire -he liked her just fine, actually- but he had just gotten out of work and his patience was running thin. The more he interacted with customers the dumber he thought the populace was. While Noah regretted working for White Knight because of the older man's lack of sympathy for Rex, after he quit he was still in need of an income. Cars didn't save up for themselves, and he was now a senior in high school applying for college. Dirty money or not, Providence had paid him well; he almost missed it.

"Hi Cheshire." He waited the usual two seconds for her to burst into conversation, but she didn't say a word. "Cheshire?" She had released him and he turned to face her. Cheshire was only as tall as his chin (Rex's neck) and was smiling up at him expectantly, like she wanted him to say something else. The evo girl wore a candy pink sundress and brown sandals, a matching pink bandana tying back her hair. A hemp bag was slung over her shoulder, her camera nestled in the center of her chest. The attire was almost shocking; it had been a long time since he had seen her in anything other than her Providence garb. "I said hi." She blinked, confusion on her face. "What?" Noah frowned slightly at the game she was playing.

"Hi!"

"Pie?"

"Hi!"

"Why?"

"HI!"

"Your what?" Noah was about to blow a blood vessel when comprehension dawned on her pretty brown face. "Oh! Did I forget to tell you?"

"Forget to tell me what?"

Noah had stepped off the bus and into the Twilight Zone, where blonde cat girls attacked and friends increased their annoying factor by twelve.

Cheshire fidgeted, walking in step with him as an embarrassed smile inched across her face. She played with a hair that had fallen from her head cover, eyes gazing away and back again. "I guess you could say I got into a 'cat' fight. My ears were damaged quite badly. Miss Holiday gave me ear plugs to protect them while they heal, so I can't really hear right now." Her ears where covered by the cloth on her head. Noah wondered, briefly, if hats and such hampered her hearing anyway.

"I see."

"What?"

"I see!"

"Okay!" Noah noticed the bruise on Cheshire's forehead and her busted lip. He wanted to ask why Circe (obviously her. Who else could damage someone's ears?) had attacked her. But didn't. She would tell him when she was ready and he really wasn't sure he wanted to know.

They continued to travel in a tense silence, the late afternoon sun warm on their backs. Noah felt mildly uncomfortable, concerned he was supposed to keep the conversation going. "So where's Rex?" Cheshire looked up at him, hearing his voice but not understanding.

"What?"

"Rex," he spoke a bit louder "where is he?"

"Oh." Cheshire's smile decreased a bit, barely noticeable. "On a mission somewhere without me. White said I was useless with my ears like this." The girl shrugged carelessly but fingered her bandana right above her ears. "Wow. Does it hurt?" Cheshire shrugged again. "A little. My inner ear. Kind of like an ear infection." She sighed "The vacation time is nice, but Providence gets so quiet sometimes, you know? It was a little lonely." Noah's nod hid the fact he couldn't possibly understand the type of loneliness he had seen in Rex. And possibly within Cheshire. They walked in silence.

"You can come up," Noah broke the silence as they stopped in front of his apartment building. "I mean, if you have nothing better to do, we could play video games or something." Cheshire's face beamed up at him in delight. "Okay!" He gave her a watery smile and motioned for her to follow. Aw well. An hour with Cheshire wouldn't be too exhausting.

"My mom's home early today, so we won't be alone."

"It doesn't matter Noah. I trust you." The blatant affection in her words made Noah fumble his keys. "Y-yeah. Just making sure you're comfortable."

"I will be. As soon as we get some snack action. And I kick your ass in Mega Body Buster 3." Noah's face twitched into a smile. "Don't get cocky. I'm real competitive and would hate to make a girl cry." Cheshire snorted good naturedly. "Then your defeat will be all the more satisfying."

Noah's mom was napping in her room. He closed the door quietly although the woman slept like the dead.

It was an average two bedroom one bath apartment. Tiny, but clean and warm, with a kitchen that connected to the living room and pictures of who could only be a young Noah. The walls were painted olive green, the cabinets and counter in the kitchen lemon yellow with animal shaped oven mitts hanging on the handle of an old fashioned oven.

"You want a drink?"

"Tea?"

"Umm…no."

"Juice then." Cheshire flipped the television on, flickering through channels as Noah poured the drinks. The reception wasn't as good as she would've found in Providence and the television itself appeared to be from a decade ago, but Cheshire relished in the fact that Noah's family didn't concern itself with following technological fads.

The worn sofa creaked as Noah joined Cheshire. The girl finally decided to watch the travel channel. Perhaps she would visit one of the places mentioned before returning to Providence. With luck she wouldn't be back before Rex. It was so empty with him not there and Miss Holiday busy in the lab.

After several minutes of watching the hostess struggle through basic Chinese (Cheshire winced, correcting the woman mentally), Noah began to nod off. A few minutes of sleep couldn't hurt, and his guest was occupied with her juice and potato chips anyway. He felt his body begin to slope to the side but ignored it, falling into a light slumber as his head met with something soft.

Cheshire suppressed a yelp with both hands as the mustard blonde head crashed onto her shoulder. Her eyes darted around the room as though looking for accusing eyes, the unfamiliar feeling of uncertainty consuming her.

Rex had mentioned that Noah fell asleep fast, right? A fact discovered on one of their road trips when they had gotten lost. Or "exploring" as Rex put it. But still, one second he was sipping from his glass, the next he was so out of it a little line of drool was sliding down his cheek. She stiffened as he mumbled and burrowed into her neck. Seriously? What was she, some hormonal teenager?

Yes. But not the point.

Taking a deep, soothing breath, Cheshire re-angled Noah's head to give the boy a bit more comfort. It was okay to let him sleep for awhile; the next show was a special on rural Indonesia. As soon as her programs were over she would wake him, thank him for his hospitality, and be on her way. It was like a sleepover, only she was leaving early and there were no party favors. She played with his hair and listened to his even breathing.

Rex was exhausted, his knees creaking as he walked down the sidewalk. It wasn't that the evo had been particularly difficult -just your average fanged sunflower. That spat poisonous slime- but he hadn't completely recovered from his run in with the Pack. Although his nanites had ensured his heal time was less than that of a normal person, they really didn't bother to fix his achy joints and screaming muscles. It felt like he had gone through a strenuous workout and was feeling the after effects. Even peeling himself out of bed that morning had been a chore.

Not that he would reveal the weakness to White.

Not that he would get any sympathy if he did.

Rex kicked a can.

The fight with the Pack brought up another issue, one he had been pushing back and forth across his mind. It wasn't the fact that Van Kleiss had set a trap for them, because Rex had come to expect such things from the psycho. Rex liked to think that at this point the ruler of Abysus had shown all his cards and could do nothing nuttier than the things he had done in the past. So the trap was nothing to be shocked about.

Circe was involved.

That she willingly showed up on the premise of possibly attacking him. Admittedly, in the end he had been paired off with Hyde. Admittedly, in the end she had barely even looked at him. Admittedly, she had given him fair warning ( if you count her cryptic message of war). But every time other such an obvious attack was launched against Providence she hadn't come. He had always hoped that that was because some part of her knew that what the Pack was doing wasn't all up to snuff. That she had refused to attack her friend-who-could-be-more. But seeing her blatantly attacking their forces was…weird. In that bad sort of way.

Rex wasn't heartbroken (at least he didn't think he was). He was actually shocked that the nagging tug at his heart she once caused had numbed so much. The feeling that had replaced the burning skip was a sense of sheer disappointment. A feeling that he had been let down by a dear friend who couldn't change for anyone but herself. A dear friend whose sense of duty was as powerful as his own in forcing herself against his beliefs. A dear friend who had injured another dear friend without a look of remorse. Cheshire still couldn't hear quite right. Her nose still scrunched up in concentration whenever someone spoke to her; it sometimes took several tries to get the point across.

A smile tugged at the corners of Rex mouth at the thought of his partner's focused face. Cheshire always greeted him when he came back from one of his missions. He wasn't sure when it became so important to see those cerulean eyes glowing and that sweet pink mouth curve in a sincere smile. And the way she would avidly listen to him as he recounted the adventure, fudging a few minor details in attempt to earn a look of surprise or awe. Of course she saw right through his white lies, but the playful banter involved was alright too.

A familiar song played within his chest. Familiar and different. Like it was played in a softer, smoother scale.

That reminded him. He promised to bring Cheshire back cheesecake after his mission. It was a good thing there was a bakery a few blocks from Noah's place, because otherwise he would be tempted to ignore her demands of sweet treats and just go to bed.

It was a simple (and possibly illegal) matter to bypass the lobby's security and let himself into the building. Noah was in room 501 A, the first door after leaving the elevator.

The borrowed video game fell from his fingers, making a noise like the crack of thunder as it met the wood floor. A blonde head snapped up to look at him.

Cheshire beamed, smiling at him sweetly as she straightened her dress. An apple slice was dangling from her lips, and her camera rested beside an empty bag of potato chips on the coffee table. The same fingers straightening the fabric on her dress had been combing through his best friend's hair.

It hit Rex so hard it left his breathless, vision fading and snapping back in one fluid, uncomfortable second. Embarrassed shock, unexplained anger…pronounced hurt. How could he have forgotten how much Cheshire liked Noah? How open he had been to that first kiss? It wasn't like he had pushed her away. And he hadn't even bothered to dodge the second kiss. He _liked _it. How long had they been…? Rex's heart felt like it had ruptured, pain echoing with every beat, her innocent smile making it all the worse. That was where she always vanished to. _Noah's place._ Had he been in the way this whole time? God. He was so _stupid_.

He had to leave. Her smile was beginning to falter; she was reading him, and he didn't want to face her when she deciphered what was in his eyes. Hell, he didn't even know what he felt at the moment, so she couldn't possibly understand. "Sorry to interrupt," he tossed the game at the groggy looking Noah. The blonde looked at bit confused at the situation and Rex had never hated his friend more than at that moment, as he sat so comfortably close to Cheshire. "See you back at Providence, Cheshire." He was out the door before they could stop him. He moved surprisingly fast considering the heavy weight that appeared in his chest.

Cheshire's eyes were wide, Noah still trying to wake up enough to process the fact that Rex had not only randomly busted into his home and thrown a video game at him, he had stomped out just as abruptly. He didn't know whether to give chase or not.

Cheshire stood, and Noah looked up at her as she tossed back the rest of her juice. "Gotta go Noah. Thanks for letting me come over and stuff." Noah nodded. Something unspoken had happened, flying right over his head. It was serious.

As the door clicked shut behind Cheshire, he finally realized what Rex saw. How it must've looked.

"Shit." He leapt up to grab his coat and go after both evos, but hesitated in the hallway. What could he say? He had known, before Rex himself knew, how the teen evo felt about his partner. Rex probably didn't know that Noah saw the way he absorbed everything she said and did, the way his eyes followed her across the room. The crazy calm her laugh instilled in the evo. The bright affection that radiated from Rex's very pores was something sincere and pure whenever she came close. Noah pursed his lips and jogged to the elevator.

It wasn't just the fact that Cheshire was attractive. Of course Rex had ogled girls before -what teenage boy hadn't- and pretty girls were more common then most would think. Noah passed plenty in the halls of his high school, gossiping with friends or re-applying make-up or giggling about whatever. He had taken the prettiest to junior prom and was thinking about asking her to senior before the week was over. But Cheshire was different somehow. In a line up of bombshells she would still stand out. A glow that wasn't drowned out by her off kilter mentality.

She was like the night sky. Dark. Deep. Scary. But amazing. It gave Noah the impression she would be just as beautiful if she didn't have full lips and glossy hair; if her big, bright eyes were dim and dull and she had the figure of a bread box instead of an hour glass.

Is that what people mean by inner beauty? The only thing he knew was that whatever it was, it made her beautiful.

Noah frowned as he ran through the lobby. Rex. That lucky sonuva bitch.

Of course Cheshire caught up to Rex. Not because she was rushing; she kept her leisurely stroll, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and humming softly to herself. She only did that when she was nervous. Noah caught up to her, but she didn't turn to look at him, eyes only for Rex.

Lucky bastard.

Rex was cursing in Spanish, his Boogie Pack breaking apart before he could take flight. The biomechanical debris surrounding his feet was quite large, suggesting he had been trying to fly off for awhile now. And his nanties weren't being very agreeable. Cheshire cleared her throat loudly. Twice. Rex turned to face her with narrowed, frustrated eyes. "What, Cheshire?" he snarled, another Boogie Pack falling apart. She ignored his tone. "If you're too tired to get back, I could take us."

"No. Thanks."

"We could call Six. I'm sure he would come get us."

"No."

"Well then," Cheshire was getting huffy at his cut off answers. Something told her he was talking loudly for more reasons than just being heard. "Maybe a cab? Because it's obvious-"

"No! I don't need your help!" Cheshire was taking aback by Rex's outburst, smile crumbling as he turned from her. "Just go back. Cheshire will be right up, Noah." Noah cringed at the blatant hostility in Rex's voice. "What's with you?"

"Nothing. Geez, will you guys get off me?" Rex avoided the eyes of his friend. Noah sighed, jumping right to the issue. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw up there but I can guarantee it's not what you think." Rex grit his teeth. "I'm a big boy Noah. I don't need bullshit excuses."

"What excuse? I'm trying to tell you what happened." Rex laughed humorlessly. "Oh I _know _what happened."

"No, you don't." Rex scowled.

"I don't want details. It was pretty obvious that you guys wanted to be alone. So go." He waved his hand in dismissal. Which of course infuriated Noah.

"I wouldn't do that to you! I know how you feel-"

"Do you? Did you figure it out before or after getting friendly on the couch?" Noah winced again. "We weren't-"

"Cuddling?"

"Stop being a jackass! Maybe if you let me talk-"

"I don't want to hear-"

"-shut the fuck up you jealous asshole!" The elephant that had followed them from the apartment fell on their heads. Rex's eyes went wide before narrowing, his fists clenched and shaking. Cheshire cocked her head. She wasn't quite sure what they were talking about. "What?" The boys didn't respond, a faint red appearing on Rex's cheeks as Cheshire watched them. "Um, maybe you should go home." Cheshire broke the silence again and stepped between the deadly looks. "Noah. Just go home. It's cool. Me and Rex need to get back." Noah looked at her, gray eyes aflame. "Yeah. You got some shit to work out." The blonde boy turned and walked away without another word. Awkward silence fell in his wake. Both remaining teenagers shifted in place, avoiding eyes.

A ringing, soft and somewhat distant, entered Cheshire's mind. She ignored it, believing it was a result of her wounded eardrums.

"Go away." Cheshire looked back at Rex in surprise. "What?" Rex took a shaky breath.

"Leave me alone."

"Why?"

"Because," he looked at her distantly. His brown eyes were cold. "I don't need you." Cheshire blinked, eyes wide. "What?"

"I don't need you. Never did. And I don't want you either," the injured look on her face made his heart twist and jerk. He felt sick. He had hurt her. Bad. It was all too obvious on her face.

But she had hurt him first. Whether she meant to or not.

She _deserved_ this.

Yes. She needed to hurt.

"You don't need me, here?" Rex blinked. Cheshire crinkled her brow.

"You don't want me, with you?" His eyes continued to stare blankly at her. "I see." Cheshire stared back at him, too stubborn to look away but just weak enough to feel crushed. She was careful to keep her eyes questioning but wonderfully vague. She always shut down when upset; her voice becoming a drawling monotone and her hands stiff boards at her sides. Was that a sniffle? No, of course not. Cheshire wouldn't let herself cry over a stupid fight. She was strong, and that was why it took for much just to pierce her thick skin.

She was slowly processing the fact that his words actually stung her. She thought she developed an immunity to such things. Bitter words and nasty glares could no longer get to her. But she had never faced an opponent as powerful as her best friend's anger.

Best friends make the worst enemies.

She swallowed a lump in her throat, keeping her voice steady.

"Should I leave?" Her voice clawed against Rex despite its gentleness. He grit his teeth. This fury wasn't his own; he didn't know who was talking. "I don't care what you do. Just get out of my life."

"I see." Cheshire muttered, face wiped. "I'll be gone by morning." Forget that White would never allow her to leave, forget that Dr. Holiday had been more relaxed since their "girl time" started, forget that missions went smoother with her there. Rex would miss her like a body part if she left. Like his arm or, more likely, his heart had ripped itself free and run away.

But of course he didn't tell her that. He didn't tell her that he _did _need her and he _did_ want her and he _was _jealous. Because that was what she was waiting for him to say and no.

He didn't.

He wasn't.

No.

Yes.

Whose thoughts were these?

"Whatever."

"Yes. What ever shall come."

Rex didn't need to turn around to know she was gone. It was like the evening had become a little colder.

It wasn't Cheshire's fault. She didn't mean to leave.

She was so sick of Breach's portals. When she finally landed she would kick that bitch's ass. Not just because she was frustrated and hurt and why would he say such things? Remorselessly punishing her for something she didn't understand and didn't know how to learn. She felt something warm drip down her face as she landed in the dirt, her hands grinding on buried rocks.

Cheshire quickly dried the single tear as she took in her surroundings. She sat in the middle of a forest, though unlike any she had ever seen. The trees had the same brownish red hue as the dirt and the sky. She thought they were pine trees, but upon closer inspection she realized they were some sort of demented hybrid plant that didn't exist in nature's design. Dark shapes hissed and growled in her peripheral vision and she felt chaotic nanites radiating from _everything_. Like the earth itself was an active evo. It was nauseating.

She wasn't, however, so distracted that she didn't feel a massive surge in nanites approaching. Leisurely.

A tall, intimidating man wearing a kind smile and flanked by…vines…walked into view. He wore a long trench coat the color of dried blood with dark gray pants and a black shirt. His black hair reached his shoulders and was highlighted with streaks of gray and silver. As he stepped into the murky brown light and out of the shadows, Cheshire noticed that his left arm was made completely of metal. He may have been handsome to some, with a powerful, regal face and intelligent eyes. But Cheshire was on edge the instant she saw him.

"Hello child," his voice was a silky purr that possessed an accent she couldn't quite place. He was loud enough for her to make out what he was saying. "Welcome to paradise." Cheshire raised an eyebrow, taking a moment to decipher what he said.

"Where are the palm trees?" The man raised an eyebrow, his face confused. "Pardon?"

"Paradise has palm trees. I think I'm in the wrong place, unless I heard you wrong." The man chuckled. "I see you're a joker. What an endearing quality."

"Thank you, strange man I've never met before in my life. I think. I really can't hear you." The man continued to smile and Cheshire felt uncomfortable at the gesture. It was then she realized what was bothering her. These trees…the ground…the sky. The weirdo with the all knowing smile.

"This is Abysus, isn't it? Which makes you Van." The man's smile turned malicious. "Ah, you've heard of me. That saves us a bit of time. But do call me Van Kleiss, Cheshire." She smiled back. Neither smile was sincere as they watched each other. "I was going to. But I had forgotten your name, save for the Van part. You wouldn't want me calling you Van Kris, now would you?" She found she couldn't move. Bits of dirt were joining together, winding around and between her legs, up her body, becoming tentacles as they bound her tightly. "Now, now," Van Kleiss' voice was now directly above her. "I can't have you moving about when you've yet to prove yourself trustworthy." Cheshire's grin became a snarl.

"_I'm _untrustworthy? You're the one trapping me in paradise. You need to work on your hospitality." She sent a bit of power into the roots, busting them back into chunks of dirt. She then hefted herself into the air, dodging larger, stronger roots as they came after her.

"I didn't bring you here to fight, Cheshire."

"Shoulda thought of that before attacking me, Van." She was focusing, willing herself to fade away when a blast of sound knocked her from the sky. Spinning like a miniature Ferris wheel, Cheshire struck a tree head on, bashing her skull. It was dark for a split second before she forced her eyes back open. Owwwww…..

"I know that voice anywhere," she failed to hide her scorn. "How nice of you to serenade me, Deep Throat." Circe made to approach Cheshire, taking offense at the name, but Van Kleiss stopped her with an arm. Vines had already captured Cheshire once more, an increased level of nanites strengthening the tree as it hugged her close. "No fair! Two on one!" Cheshire struggled and the vines held her all the tighter.

"I assume you were successful?" Van spoke to Circe.

"Yes, Van Kleiss."

"Well then," even more scorn and arrogance entered the man's voice. "Let me extend a proper invitation to our guest." Circe frowned ever so slightly.

"Cheshire. We live in a world where evos and humans are constantly at odds with each other. They can kill us with no consequences and we can do nothing to defend ourselves-"

"So you're saying you created the Pack to protect us?" Van Kleiss walked towards her, his eyes flashing. Cheshire could tell he was a man who didn't like being interrupted, but didn't feel like listening to whatever speech he was winding into.

"Of course. Only by joining together can we eliminate the threat of the human race and-"

"Bullshit." Van Kleiss smile vanished as Cheshire's widened. "You just want power. And puppets. Neither of which I think you deserve." The tall man nodded as though he knew this would be her response. Of course, because Cheshire barely liked working for Providence. Why would she surround herself with this half dead land working for a controlling nutso cukoo?

Circe re-opened her mouth.

Ringing entered Cheshire's head again, more irritating than ever but still barely there. Cheshire twitched in the tree's embrace, her ears tingling. She wasn't sure where the noise was coming from, where to focus her attention. Circe? But her mouth wasn't extended. Only perfect red lips were moving silently, faster than a human's but retaining human form.

"The fuck you doing? New talent, Motor Mouth?" Distracted, Circe stopped singing in order to snarl before continuing. Cheshire winced as the ringing grew louder still. She didn't know what the brunette was trying to do, but it annoyed her. "Gah! You trying to kill my ears?" Van Kleiss was frowning in a rage Cheshire didn't understand. Circe's face held shock and frustration as she once again tried singing. To her surprise, Cheshire kicked her foot, flip-flop soaring through the air and (barely) missing her head. "Bitch," Cheshire hissed with uncharacteristic venom, her smile stretched much too high. "Didn't I tell you your music sucks?" Van Kleiss looked thoughtful.

"I see." His face was grim. "Well, I suppose claiming one of you is good enough. For the moment." Cheshire was confused as to what he meant, until she felt a familiar wave of nanites. Calm, controlled. He was so close…

"What's he doing here?" Van Kleiss raised an eyebrow. "And who would that be?" Cheshire narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Rex."

"Oh? You know where Rex is?" The fingers on his metal hand extended into needles, and a shiver ran down Cheshire's spine. "Did he tell you of our first meeting, by chance?" Cheshire's eyes widened at the question. "I extended a perfectly fine invitation to him as well. Did he tell you what happened?" The mad genius stepped closer, Cheshire struggling against her imprisonment. "His self righteous act," they were nose to nose, the roots giving Cheshire extra height.

"Of spitting in my eye?"

Needles. Imbedded in her chest. She screamed.

She imaged this was what it felt like to be put through a colander. Like he was draining everything from her in the most painful way possible, the place were he stuck her slowly stiffening as she tried to wriggle away in vain. When she ran out of breath screaming she glanced down, gasping. She was turning to stone.

"What was that?" Van Kleiss taunted as Cheshire struggled to speek. Her lungs and throat were constricting, heart working overtime as stone crawled closer.

"Get," she grit her teeth. "Get," Her tongue was paralyzed, tears stinging in her eyes.

"Out of me!"

A sudden surge of desperate power forced Van Kleiss back, the vines crushed by the power. Cheshire fell on her back with the world spinning beneath her. Before the murderous man could act again, she vanished.

The bark, unlike the bark in Abysus, didn't react to Cheshire as she crashed into it. She stumbled and fell on her numb knees. The rest of her numb body barely recognized pain as she bashed her scraped knees on the ground. She tried to stand, but was hit with pain and dizziness so intense she vomited. The mixture of juice and snacks reminded her earlier that night. And pain hit her again.

Cheshire crawled on all fours with a torso that was solid enough to make moving difficult but flesh enough to bleed. She made it into her tree. It was full of cobwebs and debris; she hadn't visited in weeks. Her bed was cold. Curling into a ball, she lost consciousness.

Rex gazed out across his home. It was brown in most places, yellow where the sun was trying to break through the clouds, with various creatures wandering through the trees. The sight of so many entities living amongst the foliage sparked something within him, a similar sight in a greener forest, but the memory was quickly stifled by a sudden headache.

When he had woken up, his girlfriend had been standing over him with concern on her pretty face. Of course he hadn't known she was his girlfriend at first; he had forgotten everything. She claimed he had hit his head in a fight for his life, breaking free from a place known as Providence. Apparently they had been using him for years, abusing powers he barely remembered for their own gain and never letting him leave. As hard as he tried, he could only vaguely remember shapes and voices, no true thought surfacing in his blank slate of a mind. But her face was there, in his foggy memories, and that was enough to trust her.

Rex heard footsteps behind him and smiled. Circe ran into his arms as he turned to face him, kissing him full on the lips with a desperate hunger. "Whoa," he chuckled "what was that for?" The black haired girl shrugged, smiling up at him happily. "Nothing. Just…when I think of us being apart….it makes me miss you." He smiled gently at her and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. She sighed at the gesture.

"I'm right here, Circe. And I'm not going to leave ever again." They held each other close, her arms on his shoulders and his on her waist. With a throb, his mind threw another pair of arms into his consciousness, and he stiffened.

_Covered in red with white hair and misery-_

"I know you won't leave," Circe said in a sing-song voice. He relaxed at the sound.

"You'll never leave me again."


	13. Chapter 13

**BB says: **Thank you fans, new and old, for staying with the story. It feels good to have so many people reviewing and in love with Cheshire, so as a reward here's another chapter. All in one week, I know ^^. "But, BB," you might say "don't you have school in six days? Don't you have to pack and stuff?" Yes and yes. But once I start something, especially something I know other people appreciate, it's impossible for me to let it go. Thanks again! *throws cotton candy into the crowd*

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Generator Rex or _Alice in Wonderland. _Pishaw.

**Rating: **This is getting really repetitive. Why do I even bother? Teen.

_"I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then,"_

~Lewis Carroll, _Alice's adventures in Wonderland: Through the looking glass _

There was a mask on her face, hampering her vision and restricting her breath. It was shaped like a white rabbit but felt like a sleeve, impossible to remove. She was late. So late. For some sort of date.

She felt herself stop breathing in her sleep multiple times, and would wake just to remind herself that she was too stubborn to die. Her chest was heavy and her body chilled and her mind refused to allow her to open her eyes. But like Hell she was going to let someone else get the last word. She was down. But it was foolish to think one defeat was the end of her fight.

After several attempts, the long lashes flanking blue eyes finally creaked open.

Cheshire found it extremely difficult to sit up, the tightness in her chest and stomach reminding her of what happened to her. Abysus. Van Kleiss. Rex. Phantom pain echoed through her body, adamant that she not forget her injuries.

The sheets were stuck as sweat became glue and her weak legs struggled to kick free. It was suddenly too confining in her tree, her freed hair wrapping around her neck possessively and the cobwebs on her ceiling mocking her. The pictures that hung above her seemed lonely and silent. They needed to be dusted.

She vanished with great effort, reappearing at a waterfall in the Smokey mountains. This place was her favorite place to bathe, a tourist spot but rarely visited because of how easy it was to miss. No one had ever stumbled upon the girl bathing beneath Meigis falls. No one knew how to look. The falls were high enough for her to rinse her hair and had a pool deep enough to submerge herself. Perfect.

Cheshire pulled her muddy, bloody dress over her head, wincing as it brushed her raw knees. Her bandanna was long gone, and she pulled out her ear plugs in order to clean her ears. Sounds didn't hurt her so much anymore. The fact that her ears had recovered so much was a testament to her long sleep. After removing her bra, she took a deep breath and looked down.

Bile rose in her throat.

Stone had spread through much of her chest, wrapping just below her breasts and stretching to her navel. She lightly ran her fingers over the stone, shivering at the rough feel of a statue instead of flesh on flesh. It was slightly cracked and overlapping from where she had broken it with movement. Five holes ran up the center of her torso and were surprisingly very comforting. With scabs the color of dried blood, they assured her that beneath a layer of stone was still some living tissue. She took a deep breath that was quickly released as she stepped into the freezing water.

After a few minutes of soaking on her back, Cheshire swam to the falling water, using it to rinse the grime and sweat from her hair, dried tears from her face. She opened her mouth and tipped her head, drinking the clear water of the falls before once more diving under the water.

How long had she been asleep? Wandering through the deserts of unconsciousness, she had awoken to aching joints and stiff muscles, telling her she had stayed in one position for too long. That could've been anywhere between thirteen hours and two days, considering she hadn't died of dehydration. She sighed underwater, bubbles wandering from her mouth. Her white hair was drifting all around her, midnight black face contrasting the silver cloud under the water. She didn't have the emotional stability to change back into her café au lait skin, her head muddled and her heart confused.

Rex was now in Abysus, whether willingly or not. The thought of the Latino boy worsened her discomfort but she didn't want to let her mind wander again. Despite the uncertain territory she was wandering into.

Cheshire winced at the blank stare, the flame of his words. A tempershe had never witnessed first hand before. The indifference, the cruel comments, the chill of his look…

Her train of thought wrecked.

Cheshire breached the surface of the water and swam back to her discarded clothes. She had forgotten her camera at Noah's a lifetime ago. She laid back on the shore, letting the air dry her and picking the stone off her body. It flaked up like dried glue and stung wherever she peeled it off.

Rex didn't belong in Abysus. If he was injured, unable to get away, she had to go after him despite their argument. She wasn't so childish as to let him suffer because she was upset with him; she was just childish enough to avoid him for the rest of his life. Which, ironically, may not be long if she didn't think of something.

Since she wasn't quite sure where Abysus was, she couldn't go get him. The logical thing to do would be to go back to Providence and tell them what happened. But for some reason the thought of crying at the knee of the White Knight didn't appeal to her. The bleached man would probably waste time scolding her, more time scolding Miss Holiday and Six, and in the end be too pissed to carry out the operation the way Cheshire wanted it. With finesse. Over and through in two days time, tops. Even that may be too late.

She shivered a bit in the breeze, but made no move to cover herself. Putting filthy clothes on her clean body would be counter productive, the water was even cooler than the air, and she didn't want to waste the stamina to go back to her tree just yet.

There was something she needed to know. After a nap.

Dr. Holiday had no idea why she hated this day so much. It wasn't that the coffee machine was on the fritz and she had to settle for that mud called instant. It wasn't the fact that she had to skip lunch to converge with fellow scientists around the world because of their quarterly meeting. Nor was it the fact that she had to correct the errors of two of her peon fellows when they ran the incorrect formula for an experiment concerning the magnetic field of the earth and its effect on nanites.

As she settled into her bed, turning over and struggling to think the blank thoughts of sleep, her digital clock rolled into midnight with ceremonial silence. And she realized why today was the worst day of her life.

Rex and Cheshire had gone missing before. Little escapades, adventures if you will, for the Hell of it. Two days, if they wanted fun. Five if one of them was upset.

She had gotten worried by the end of the second week. No word from either of them, no trail of cured evos for her to follow.

By week three she was livid, unmanageable and biting off the head of anyone who dared to get within a radius of six feet.

This was the marking of one complete month that Cheshire and Rex had been missing.

And she was beyond concern and anger. It was actually like the two emotions had come together and she was now in possession of their love child.

It had been an excruciating month. The uneasy tension of hoping to hear something, yet dreading it wouldn't be what was wanted. Every worst case scenario, every danger, every lesson she hadn't thought to teach them ran through her mind. They could've gotten shot in street violence, blown up in a freak subway accident, hit by a car (that probably wouldn't kill them), dragged away by serial kidnappers…

Maybe she was getting a bit paranoid by this point. But how could she not? It was impossible for her to simply rage about the problem like White or sizzle with silent worry like Bobo. Her concerns had to be voiced and proven false before she could rest. The only issue was that the only person to listen was, indeed, her emotionally masked partner.

And while she had gone to him and explained herself, there was very little comfort to be had. The man in the sun glasses had the same worries; she saw it on his face. He may have even been in a worst state, considering that he was their keeper. He was responsible if anything happened to them because he was supposed to be able to find them and he was in charge of most of their training. She felt selfish just mentioning that she held petty worries that they weren't behaving properly or were murdered by an average gun slinging person. No. Six was the one who knew their movements in the field. She had theories concerning the extent of their abilities, taken from research and study, but Six had seen them in action.

He knew their every method, every movement, the true point they could push themselves to. So it was Six whose nightmares were the worst, who could think of the true worst cases and who held it all within himself. He never came to her, although Holiday knew how much pain he had to be in.

It was in this way she became the one to comfort and soothe. When the barely there frown would appear between his eyes and she would walk into their shared office to see him gazing out at the Zoo like he thought his wards would come sprinting out at any moment.

He told her, one late night in the office, when paperwork was stacked to the ceiling and coffee ran like a river, that it was his fault. He was there when Rex leapt from the plane, and he had made no move to stop him. Why would he? Rex did stupid stuff like that all the time. And now neither Rex nor Cheshire had come home.

The doctor wasn't sure to do, so she let her natural need to nurture take over. Because, as she said to the agent that night, she had watched Cheshire leave and, like him, thought nothing of it. If there was blame to be had it would be shared.

It was the next night that something changed between them. It was similar to their first real meeting, her carrying more than she could manage, him wandering the halls. But it was late. She was tired. And avoiding her bed with work. Eventually the coffee did nothing more than make her jittery, and she was forced to put away files for the night before a serious error was made in her work.

So as the papers fell from her hands in a way so like the past, she refused to go after them. The exhausted woman let gravity drag her to her knees, over taxed emotionally and physically. Her head was heavy; she hadn't slept in days. It seemed every time she closed her eyes she saw their faces. Pained, lonely, terrified. Like they were calling to her. "Did I fail them?" She asked the drifting paperwork.

"No." The voice behind her, though identifiable, made her jump three feet in the air. The young doctor was instantly embarrassed by her position, and set about gathering her work. The silent agent helped her. There was nothing that need to be said as the two slowly gathered drifting file fodder.

While in no particular order, the documents were soon back in Holiday's arms again. "Thank you," she said stiffly, moving to go around him. She was oddly angry; had been for a long time. Not at anyone in particular. Just emotional disarray caused by stressful working conditions. Before she could take that first step past him, Six spoke again. "I mean what I said Holiday. You haven't failed anybody."

"And how would _you _know?" She snapped unnecessarily, like he had insulted her deeply. "There was so much they don't know! That I didn't tell them! They're still so naïve and trusting and God help them, young. You were right; we should've done better. Should've stopped them or followed them or _something._ How could we let this happen, Six? We were supposed to protect them! We were supposed to watch them! Teach them! Lo-…let them grow into adults." Dr. Holiday's face grew heated with an angry blush, small, gentle hands waving through the air in frustration. Her eyes were burning, but she had too much pride to cry now. "What could we have done differently? What? How is this not my fault? How could I have not seen something like this coming?" Six remained silent, infuriating her. Even after all these years of partnership the agent still wasn't sure how to deal with this fiery woman.

"I don't know," he drawled after Holiday had silenced herself with great effort. "If it was possible to predict this would happen." Eyes, brighter than usual with unshed tears, narrowed at the man in green. "I still feel-"

"I know." There was silence. They stood in the hall, neither making the effort to move. "What do we do now?" She asked. Six quirked an eyebrow. "Continue looking for them. We can't fail them as long as we keep trying."

They were both surprised when Holiday pushed her lips against his. It was more of a tackle than a kiss, too aggressive to be considered the confession of love she had meant it to be. It was demanding and sad and angry as she pressed against him hard enough to bruise.

Comfort me.

Comfort me, damn you!

It wasn't until she stopped trying to force Six to respond that he did. When Holiday finally quit and started to pull away, the secretive agent gently placed his hands on her hips, neither pulling her in or pushing her away, and began to move his lips against hers. She sighed. It didn't fix _everything_. But at least she was warm.

If anyone was awake, they wouldn't have been surprised to see him leave her room early the next morning.

So Dr. Holiday and Six fell together (finally). United by a common worry for those they loved. It was covert, and if it ever became a threat to their respective jobs neither would hesitate to call it off (they assured themselves in the arms of their lover), but it was there. They didn't know what they were, or what they could be called. But they respected each other, held each other when the weight became too much. And together they waited to hear the sound of booted feet running down the hall and Mozart blasting from the dormitory.

She didn't hesitate to push herself off her mattress and walk to Six's room. Where he lay awake.

Ashley, North Dakota really hadn't changed all that much. In fact, the little house on the outskirts of the larger town still sported the playhouse sitting in the tree. It now needed a new coat of finish and a few steps on the ladder were splintered, but Cheshire recognized it immediately. It had been a fun place, at the time, but now thinking about it made her wonder how it had come to this. At what point her destiny had twisted in such a way that she was about to begin a quest to save a boy who had gone out of his way to hurt her. Insult her. Change her.

When had she begun to lose herself…again?

What should her name be this time?

The house was silent, the occupants long asleep as she crept through their yard. Two bodies. Muggy nanites. They hadn't moved out like she had hoped, but what she was going to do wouldn't take long. She found the window she was looking for easily, gently, bit by bit, sliding it open. It wasn't locked; crime wasn't exactly a major problem in this part of the world.

Cheshire angled her body into the room with the princess pink curtains, narrowly avoiding a butterfly lamp as she landed on the flower covered rug. She was still only a moment, before gazing about in search of what she knew to be here.

There is was. In the eye of that doll, the one on the dresser.

Careful to avoid the observant porcelain cutie, Cheshire ripped the sheets from the bed and chucked them across the room. She tore the pages from books, throwing them in the air like confetti. Wrapping her hand in a lacey sock, she put her hand through the mirror on the wall. She pulled the clothes out of the dresser and left them on the floor. She swept her arm across the desk and scattered the toys and pencils and cotton candy nail polish. She rubbed markers into the rug.

Cheshire saw the hall light click on; they knew she was in their house. But it didn't matter. Because she had gotten what she wanted.

The doll's eye began to expand into a swirling, familiar red portal. "YOU!" Came the screech, loud and angry. Breach lunged through, attempting to tackle Cheshire to the ground. She landed in the bed, tangled in her own limbs for only a second before throwing holes that would surely dump Cheshire in the center of an active volcano.

"Get out! Get out! This is mine! MINE!" The four armed girl screamed, new vortexes circling.

"Calm down or you'll scare them." Breach's visible eye twitched. "Get out," she hissed angrily as the door flew open.

Nana and Pop-pop Bell had aged considerably over time. It hadn't been more than seven years since Cheshire had seen them last, but Nana had new lines on her face and the baseball bat wielding Pop-pop had thicker glasses and new liver spots. Both now had completely silver hair instead of the little spots of gray Cheshire remembered and both looked so much frailer than the energetic old people who built a tree house for their granddaughter.

"Who are you?" Nana's voice still held strength, anger as she gazed about the trashed room. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes fell on Cheshire's flickering tail and she took a little step back. "Evos? In our home?" Pop-pop gripped the bat tighter, moving a bit to stand in front of his wife. "Go call Providence, Meredith. It'll be alright."

"No!" Both girls cried at once. Breach took a step forward in obvious panic, the moonlight falling across her face.

"Wait," Nana's eyes were wide in recognition. Breach stopped breathing, eyes frantic and filling with tears, a portal opening for her to leap through. Cheshire followed just before it closed.

"WAIT!" The old woman's scream echoed behind them.

Breach obviously hadn't expected Cheshire to leap in after her. The look on her face was priceless as she was tackled to the ground of Arizona's desert, pinning a pair of arms with her legs, the other pair with her hands and a bit of her power.

"GET OFF!" Screeched the green eyed evo, kicking her legs in desperation. Cheshire held tightly, refusing to move. This panicked the girl beneath her even more, the speed and the power of the kicking increasing. Despite her efforts, Breach wore herself out and lay quietly, whimpering. Her eyes were wide in panic as she breathed fast and hard.

"I'll let you up," Cheshire said into the silence, calling the other girl's attention back. She was pleased her theory had been correct. The shape of the eyes, build of the cheeks, the simple way the girl had moved had put the worming thought into Cheshire's head. There had been a million to one chance she had been right. "But you have to tell me something first." Black reached across Cheshire's face, crawling its way like cracks in a mirror.

"How's a raven like a writing desk, Alice?"


	14. Chapter 14

**BB says: **Hold on to your happy hats boys and girls because this chapter is a whopper! I didn't mean for it to get this long. But sometimes these things write themselves and once I get started…you get the picture. Also, there are so many opportune quotes made by Lewis Carroll it was hard to pick just one. So a few are woven in throughout the story for all my Lewis Carroll fans out there.

**Rating: **Teen.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Generator Rex, _Alice in Wonderland, _or any quotes by Lewis Carroll that you may stumble across.

**BB says some more: **I've recently come to the belief that Van Kleiss is a closet pedophile. I mean, seriously, who gets THAT CLOSE to someone to taunt them? No! Bad Van Kleiss! No young boys for you B(!

Oh, and the review made by one _zeroDwolf? _Do you speak Spanish? Because now I'm under a lot more pressure to translate things right, lol.

_"Do you think I've gone round the bend?" "I'm afraid so. You're mad, bonkers, completely off your head. But I'll tell you a secret. All the best people are." _

_~ Alice in Wonderland, _Lewis Carroll

The timer on the microwave dinged, and Cheshire took both steaming mugs from the appliance. Gently, she placed two bags of chamomile in each, blowing on hers as she passed the other to her companion. They sat on the bed, side by side, in an empty hotel room sipping stolen tea out of stolen mugs. Well. Not _stolen. _Cheshire had left the little shop a hand written I.O.U.

Perhaps if it had been someone who hadn't constantly teleported her at the least convenient times Cheshire would've considered taking her back to her tree. Sat her on her bed and had little chat about the path the young Bell had taken with her life. But as it was, Cheshire was just grateful the girl had let her take them someplace. She didn't trust her childhood friend as far as she could throw her.

Breach stared at her slowly steeping tea and stirred the liquid with a finger on one of her larger hands. "Sooo," Cheshire hated awkward silence. Really she did. Breach jumped, gazing at Cheshire with startled eyes. Every time Cheshire moved she cringed and edged away. While she agreed to follow Cheshire and hadn't disappeared into a portal , Breach made it very clear she didn't quite trust the other girl. This was their fifth time meeting in the past two weeks but Cheshire had been gone too long in the past; they had been enemies longer than friends.

Cheshire chose to keep her skin the color the girl remembered in order to make the whole situation easier. "I used to live in places like this. I mean, unused hotel rooms. You know, when I wasn't spending time in tree houses." Cheshire said this lightly, but Breach still watched her with precaution.

"The tree house was mine. That room was mine." Breach's voice was impatient, like Cheshire wasn't listening to what she said. "I know Alice. That's why I went to visit your grandparents." Breach shot her a wicked look. Cheshire sipped her tea. "No. They are not mine. The house is mine. The room is mine. They are not mine. Not so shiny." Cheshire sighed slightly. Poor Alice. She had been so lost for too long. "But Alice-"

"No! Not Alice! Breach!" The green eyed evo's voice rose into a screech as she threw the cup of tea across the room. Cheshire merely raised an eyebrow. "Okay. That's okay. I'm not me anymore, so I can't tell you to be you, can I?" Breach snarled. "No! You can't." Cheshire nodded, standing to eye level with the girl. Breach looked at her wearily. "Have we both grown too much…Breach? Nothing is fun anymore, is it?" Breach looked away, a frown still on her face. The conversation was taking its usual path. "I have fun. Van Kleiss is fun. My dollhouse is fun. Teleporting is fun." Cheshire grinned. "I like dollhouses. And traveling by my own power is great too. But I don't really like Van Kleiss." Breach thought for a moment.

"He doesn't understand. No, no. He doesn't care for favorites, he wouldn't like my dollhouse." Cheshire's grin broadened. "I didn't say that, did I?" She grabbed Breach's smaller hands. The girl didn't stop her. "But you're right. He _wouldn't _understand. Because Van Kleiss doesn't see the world like you and me. He doesn't see colors and shine. He only sees his darkness." Breach looked into Cheshire's eyes as though searching for a lie. She didn't find one.

Because Cheshire sincerely thought Breach may have been the last person on earth to understand her. Not because she spent a few weeks in the girl's playhouse, and not because they both gave up who they were to be who they could be. It wasn't even because, on a whim, they could simply leave what made them unhappy behind them. It was because the look in Breach's eyes was weary and hurt and familiar. Cheshire felt it echoed on her own face, covered by her grin. Such nonsense indeed. Wandering through a dream and into a world of her own. Full of shiny people and photographs, the faded outline of two girls disappearing into the shadows.

"Do you want to be friends?" Breach stiffened and yanked away. "No! You destroyed what is mine." Cheshire pouted. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not." The grin came back. "I know." Breach snarled. "But," Cheshire tried to disengage her anger. "We could have fun. As friends. Like we used to, remember? Who can stop us? We can leave whenever we want!" Breach shook her hair in front of her face. "No. I can't leave. Van Kleiss wants me there. I belong to Abysus."

You can too! We can-" Cheshire shut her mouth and narrowed her eyes at the way Breach shook her head. "No. He'll take what isn't mine. He'll take them. And break them."

"Who?" Breach didn't say. It took Cheshire all of two seconds to figure it out. "What if I said," she weighed her words "I could keep what is yours safe?" Breach's visible eye widened before her face twisted into a sneer. "Liar. You don't care." Cheshire shook her head, smiling gently. "Providence would be happy to help. To keep them safe. If you would help me save Rex." Breach backed away, cradling her head in her larger hands.

"No, no, no, no. He destroyed my dollhouse. What is MINE. And you destroyed what is MINE. MINE. You don't care. He doesn't care. No one cares what is MINE, MINE, MINE, MINE." A vortex appeared behind the evo as she broke down, muttering to herself. Panicking, Cheshire grabbed at straws. This wasn't working. Cheshire couldn't stop Breach from running away. Although they understood each other, although the potential to comfort a fellow was within grasp, it lay just beyond her fingertips. What was missing? What did she need to help…?

"No! Wait! Breach!" The other girl ignored her, backing into her swirling red sanctum. "Allison!" Green eyes widened, the portal vanished with a popping noise. "What…what did you call me?" Cheshire swallowed, unsure of what she had done. She smiled sheepishly. "Allison. That's _your _name, right?" Cheshire made her voice calm. "Not Alice, not Breach. Allison." She chanced a step forward, reaching out again. "And, although I can't protect everything that belongs to Breach, I can protect what belongs to _Allison._" The black receded on Cheshire's skin, leaving her mocha brown with a smile in her eyes to match the one on her face. Breach seemed hypnotized by her words and didn't notice the change. "You can protect…mine?" Cheshire nodded. "My Nana? My Pop-pop? Mine?" Cheshire nodded again. "I'll be _yours _too. _Your _friend."

"Impossible."

"You mean impassible. Nothing is impossible."

Slowly, as though scared the shaking girl would bolt, Cheshire wrapped her hands around her friend in a fragile hug. "But I can only help if _Allison _helps me. Do you think Allison wants to help me?" Breach's breathing was rough, her hands stiff and unsure. She nodded woodenly. "Allison wants Nana and Pop-pop to be okay…she wants them safe from her _and_ Van Kleiss." Cheshire smiled into the girl's neck, gently brushing her hair with soothing fingers. "Allison. Where is Abysus?"

It wasn't that he didn't like the kid. Because, really, he didn't _like_ anybody. He didn't like _or _trust the kid.

No one could fault Biowolf for his massive dislike for most everything. He had had a difficult time of it, as an evo and a human. A past only revealed through his body. Angry, aggressive red eyes. Thick claws used to tear and rip. A powerful, lithe form that easily wove through an opponent's attacks. Yes. Biowolf was a powerful combination of dangerous and paranoid.

The addition of Rex into the Pack didn't please him. He was indifferent to the amount of members in the organization -seriously, he didn't give a fuck- but allowing an enemy that had wounded both he and his associates multiple times in the past put a bad taste in his mouth. It was like handing your enemy a dagger and turning your back a moment later.

But of course his complaints weren't verbalized. Van Kleiss made it very clear that Rex was to remain in the belief that he was a full-fledged member of the Pack, and Circe was too shit-faced love drunk to see anything other than the boy in front of her.

He had confronted the girl about it, telling her in his off handed way that perhaps the boy would start to remember? Her hold wouldn't last forever and he was bound to encounter Providence sooner or later. Who's to say that wouldn't spark a memory or two? That Rex wouldn't turn on the Pack in a heartbeat?

Circe smiled. "I told him to forget. Everything. I'm not controlling him anymore. I don't even have to sing to him. He really thinks he's one of us. He _is _one of us." The last comment was made as an assurance to both of them it seems. "So relax, Biowolf."

It confirmed his fear that both she and Van Kleiss were too settled in their victory too soon. He was used to the rug being pulled out from beneath them, tripping at the finish line. But no one listens to old dogs anymore.

In fact, had he looked up moments after his confrontation with Circe instead of glaring after the black haired girl, perhaps he would've noted the swishing white tail that was suspended from one of the old banisters of the castle. The glowing blue eyes that widened in surprise at their conversation. The shimmering grin that lit the shadows. Perhaps he would've been surprised. But more likely not.

It was difficult to tell when night fell in Abysus. The dark red of the sky was very nearly permanent, and therefore it only turned a deeper, cherry red as the sun set. The stars were almost invisible, and the waxing moon was a dollop of copper above Cheshire's head. The only true similarity she could see was the fact that it was dark. And the mutated creatures blow her…sleeping? Raging nanites were slightly less so. That must be sleeping.

She crept along, pretending to be a ninja to ease the stress of actually being one. In her black cargo pants, boots, and sleeveless top, skin as black as her attire, she vanished in the night. The only thing that would've given her away was her hair, and that was wrapped up tight in a black scarf, tail around her waist beneath her shirt.

Cheshire floated where the trees met the sky, careful not to brush the living foliage with even her breath. If Van Kleiss controlled the land, then she couldn't take the chance of him feeling her fall into his web. Simply fading into the castle was also a no go; it would be hard to explain if she landed on top of Circe.

She dug her claws into the cracks of the castle and slowly scaled the structure, avoiding vines. When she got up higher than the first two stories, she cautiously peered into the windows. She had to find him before they found her. If she hadn't already been detected, than she would give herself another ten minutes before aborting the mission until a later date. Calling for backup that would be useless and could call attention to what needed to be a covert operation.

She grinned. She sounded like Six.

Ah.

Cheshire held her breath as she gazed into a window that lacked curtains, a lump resting in the bed.

She took only a moment to ponder the topic of beds in Abysus. Van Kleiss didn't seem like the type to care for the comfort of his minions. Perhaps they were left over from previous occupants?

Cheshire placed a claw on the window, scratching a deep circle into the glass and wincing at the screech it made. She was actually surprised it was working considering she had gotten it from a cartoon. She watched too much television, but the hints at true knowledge of stealth and her own natural agility was coming in handy. She snapped back to reality in time to catch the disk of glass before it could hit the ground, the hole just big enough for her to slither through.

She was more relieved than she should've been that the bed only held one body. She felt herself relax just looking at him lying there, mouth open and snoring. Was she really so happy just to see him sleeping alone? It was too much to swallow for Cheshire to entertain the idea that he be sharing a bed with…with… Her eye twitched. Ugh.

She reached out to touch him, just a simple brush of her fingers against his jaw, but she never made it to her destination.

It was strange to be attacked by one of the Smack Hands. The idea of being slammed into the wall opposite the room, her friend glaring at her with suspicion, was just so _wrong_ she couldn't help but smile. It was kinda funny in that not funny sort of way. Needless to say the crazed grin on her face didn't convince him that she was trustworthy.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" His questions were whispered, the Smack Hand tightening to prevent any thought of escape. Cheshire's grin wavered as a trickled of anger ran through her mind. Circe had done this. She had taken Rex's memories, the one thing he held to most dear in this entire world. She tried so hard not to hate the other girl, not to demonize one who was obviously a desperately lonely person. She was bigger than hate; hate only hurts oneself. But looking at eyes that had once been so happy and knowing that he was hurting lit her mind with righteous fury.

What if -the smile wavered- he wasn't Rex anymore? What if she was too late, and this boy pinning her to the wall, frowning at her, questioning her wasn't her partner? He was someone else now, a blank slate that the Pack had been writing upon and influencing since the moment he opened his eyes. What chance did she, a regular evo, have against a mind controlling harpy and a group of evos determined to keep her friend…forever?

Cheshire grit her teeth, forcing the smile to solidify.

Fuck them, their goals, their plans, their _ugly ass _castle and this dead land. She was getting Rex back.

"My name is Cee," she chirped, increasing her grin until it almost hurt. "And you're Rex, my friend." Rex narrowed his eyes. "I don't know you."

"You don't know much though, so that doesn't count." At first Cheshire was concerned she had offended him. But then the Smack Hand loosened a bit. Curiosity was a powerful weapon.

"You and I have known each other for years. We hung out like everyday! Bet your girlfriend didn't mention that." Rex stiffened. "What do you know about it? She's told me everything I need to know."

"_Everything_ you say?"

"Yes. Everything." She didn't need to see his face to know doubt had entered it. "Just a moment of your time Rexy. I can tell you what she won't. What she doesn't want you to know." The Smack Hand didn't move. "And why should I trust you?"

"Why shouldn't you? Does it _look _like I'm strong enough to take you on? Honestly, boys ask dumb questions." He took another moment to think before removing his hand. Slowly. Like she knew he would.

"Don't try anything. Cee." She approached him. She had missed the way her name sounded coming from his lips, but resisted the urge to smile with anything other than greetings. "First of all," she cooed happily "let's start with the obvious. This." He jumped as she poked him in the chest, finger touching one of the five scars. He hadn't revealed them to anyone. How did she…? "Do you know how you got these?"

"Experimentation? Providence probably."

"Wrong!" Rex glared. "Then how?"

"I'll tell you later. If you fix that attitude." She was looking him up and down and he cringed at the invasive look. It felt like the strange girl was looking into his soul. _"¿Cuántas lenguas habla usted? _(How many languages do you speak?)" Rex blinked.

"_Un. Inglés _(one. English.)" Cheshire smirked. "But you just spoke to me in Spanish." Rex covered his mouth. "I did?"

"_Si."_ Rex's breath grew ragged, unnerved. Recognition tickled across his head but his mind refused to accept it, tingles running across his skull. "Who are you?"

"Cee. Just Cee. I'm your friend. I've been looking for you." She lunged forward, wrapping her hands around him in a tight hug. He was so warm, so soft, so sturdy. Cheshire's smile turned gentle and she had to stifle the urge to sigh. Rex jumped but unconsciously relaxed as her fingers pressed into his back. "Let's go exploring Rex." She purred into his ear. She wasn't sure what she was doing; things had gotten crazy the second she embraced him.

"Circe-"

"You realize you're a card carrying member of the terminally whipped?"

"What?"

" You'll be back before she even wakes up." She buried her face into his neck, relieved when he still smelled like the same boy musk she remembered. "Please?" Rex chocked and shivered as she exhaled. "O-okay." Cheshire grinned into his skin as they disappeared.

She dropped him, unceremoniously, onto her bed, her tree cleaned for the occasion. The souvenirs were dusted, the blankets cleaned, the pictures hung without cobwebs loping between them. Cheshire smiled from her spot near the ceiling as Rex sat up, groaning. "Geez. I think I'm motion sick."

"Yep. You never did get used to my fazing." Cheshire giggled. Rex looked up at her, weariness replaced by a certain curiosity. "I didn't?"

"Nope. You complained every time I took us somewhere. It pissed me off." Rex looked down. "I wish I could remember." Cheshire felt a pang of remorse for her friend.

"Here." Rex looked up, a photo hitting him in the face. "This is where we met. I took a picture of you fighting an evo."

"I was?"

"Ask the picture. This one is you at the beach. Here is you and your best friend, Noah, on the B-ball court. These are all when I surprised you by randomly appearing." She tossed down a handful of pictures, memories falling like confetti. "Your monkey, Bobo. Yes, you had a monkey. That's Captain Calan. He's very southern. Dr. Holiday. You crushed on her. But she had a boyfriend; this guy, Six. This is the diner in South Carolina we ate at. Niagara falls; I took you there once. You fell in. You asleep on a Ferris wheel. You stole my cotton candy afterwards. Here's me chasing you. Of course I'm behind the camera." Soon Rex was buried in pictures taken over the years, too much to comprehend but enough to get her point across. "Valentine's day. Easter. Water balloon fight. National ice cream day." Rex caught and scrutinized everything she threw at him.

The tingling increased until it was steady burn.

"And this," Cheshire had one more photo, clutched between her two fingers. She landed on the ground in order to hand it to him directly, taking off her scarf, unwinding her tail, and revealing her real skin.

"This is a picture of us at your birthday party. Captain Calan took the photo so I could be in it too." Cheshire took a breath as he gazed at the photo, an unreadable look in his eyes. It was herself, Rex, and Noah, Bobo off to the side glaring at a piece of cake (courtesy of Dr. Holiday). Rex was in the center, a party hat on his head as he grinned like an idiot. His arm was around Cheshire's shoulders as she smiled softly at the camera. She remembered how gently he touched her, like she was fragile, and at the time, she thought he was putting his arm around Noah as well. It was only after the picture was taken that she had discovered otherwise.

"At Providence." Tense silence. She dodged as the Smack Hand came at her, flipping out of her tree and into the night.

"I knew it was too good to be true," Rex snarled, chasing after her. She trained her face into a careful smile, faint moonlight playing off her hair as she floated a few inches off the ground. "Is it? Is it so odd you've been lied to?"

"By you! You're here to take me back to Providence." Cheshire shook her head slowly. "No." She drifted closer, placing a warm hand on his chest. "Van Kleiss. The Pack." She floated away again. "Circe." Rex cringed as Cheshire circled him in the air. "You know I'm right. That's why you let me take you here. Because you know I'm your friend and _they're _your enemies." Rex's look turned pained. "They fight for us. They believe in a just world."

"Sure, the _end _is just. But what about the means, Rex? What's the point of winning a war if you can't live with yourself afterwards?" Rex winced.

_White hair and so much sorrow._

_11010000110101110_

_What are we fighting for?_

_00101111000101011_

_Error, error. Inconsistency detected in system. Foreign protocol delegated, immediate action recommended…_

"Take me back." Cheshire frowned, disappointment locking into her body.

"Rex-"

_I'm sorry. It's on you to. Please don't leave me._

_101011001000100011_

_No one knows themselves. Everyone is an impossible puzzle._

_Immediate action recommended._

_C'est la vie…_

"Take me back, now!" Cheshire's eyes widened.

"Alright Rex. I'll take you back." She swallowed an upsurge of sorrow.

They reappeared in his room. They had barely finished reconstructing when a blast of sound caught Cheshire, sending her into the wall. There was a crater where she landed, power compounding to protect her at the last minute. As the dust was clearing, a rain of wreckage fell upon Circe, launched by the white haired evo. She rolled out of the way, a confused and shocked Rex shoved to the side.

"What are you doing here?" The siren demanded, extending her mouth for another attack. Cheshire grinned manically. "What do you think, Loser Lorelei?" She sneered, fanged canines flashing. "God. You're a dumber slut than I first thought." Circe jabbed back.

"Oh~ho, no you didn't." Cheshire looked around for witnesses that weren't there, a mocking smile on her face as she cracked her knuckles. "Dis bitch is crazy!" The siren swept the room with another scream and Cheshire flew into the air to dodge. She dragged the brunet closer, countering with a whiplash of energy that caught the girl across the face. Rex took a step forward perhaps to stop the fight, but both girls sent him a look of pure death.

Circe threw a lamp at Cheshire, who destroyed it midair and sent the shards hurtling back. A scream made sure they never hit their mark, and gave Cheshire another bout of dizziness. Great. Now her hearing would be shot _again_.

Circe tackled the distracted Cheshire, punching her in the stomach and winding her. She brought up her knee, caught the blond across the face as she went down and pain exploded in Cheshire's eye. Gritting her teeth, the cat-like evo slashed her opponent across the face with extended claws, causing her to scream in pain and grab her face. She landed a punch to the side of siren's head and grabbed her by the hair to bring her down on her knee, an echo of what the siren had done to her. Apparently the last bloody nose hadn't taught her enough of a lesson. Maybe this time she would get it.

Continuing to yank her by the hair, Cheshire threw Circe to the ground, straddling her and striking her across the face. The floored girl let loose a scream, but Cheshire moved her head to the side, dodging the worst of it before striking her across the face again. Circe wrapped her fingers around Cheshire's throat, red nails leaving angry marks. Cheshire yanked her up by her hair and slammed her head onto the floor.

"Bitch!"

"Harlot!"

Cheshire slammed Circe's head again, finally getting the girl to release her throat.

"STOP IT!" The girls looked up at Rex's roar. The boy looked confused and concerned, unsure how to stop the fight. Cheshire blinked, considering his torn conscious. She had lost already -this Rex wasn't her Rex- and although she was enjoying kicking ass it wouldn't be right for her to continue. She was being selfish. If all her presence did was cause him pain, she didn't belong here, fighting this girl.

A throb in her chest warned her of the repercussions of her decision. Pain. Loneliness. Darkness. But nothing she hadn't faced before. She would survive, she told herself. She always had before.

Cheshire was easing her hold on Circe's hair when she felt the girl take a breath beneath her. Her eyes widened a fraction but she couldn't save herself from being struck with the most powerful scream of the evening.

The blonde evo didn't register what was happening until it was too late, her power saving her from breaking her neck but doing nothing to keep the glass of the shattered window from digging into her back. Cheshire gasped at the shock of pain but rolled in order to keep giant green lizard thing from crushing her skull with his left arm. He was flanked by his metallic blue companion.

"Biowolf? Skalamander?" She heard Rex gasp from the empty window pane. Crystal daggers flew at her and she stopped them in midair, returning them to sender. Of course they couldn't pierce his thick skin. Pain raked down her already shredded back and she screamed, Biowolf reminding her of his presence.

"I smelled you a mile away, girl." The metallic evo snarled, moving in on the fallen Cheshire. She panted, wincing at the pain in her back and hands, glass digging into her body. "Van Kleiss will be pleased."

"Pleased?" Cheshire ignored the fact that Rex held Circe in his arms as he flew them to the ground. She didn't want to see herself pinned in by her former ally. "You've been annoying since the moment I saw you," Circe snipped, spitting blood from her mouth. Cheshire was grimly satisfied at the mess she had made of the girl's face. Cover _that _with make-up. "You couldn't just leave, could you?" Cheshire glared back at her, grinning. "Nope. Cheshire is a bad kitty." Circe sneered, firing a brief scream. She was too busy attacking to notice a little light go off in Rex's head at the full name of his partner.

_My name is Cheshire. Or Cee._

_Evo X? I prefer Cheshire._

_My name is Cheshire you mother fucker!_

_Error detected. Immediate action recommended._

"Leave now. We'll pretend this never happened."

"No." Although Cheshire _had _been planning to leave, she was much too stubborn and prideful to retreat with her tail between her legs. The second Circe commanded her, that option left for good. She dodged the next sound attack but was struck from behind by Skalamander. She landed in the center of the circle once again, sans a rib. She refused to scream.

"Leave."

"No!" This wave tossed Cheshire back. Biowolf parried her, catching her shoulder with his claws. She landed on her back, wounds smarting. No sound escaped her lips.

"Get out!"

"NO!" Cheshire was beginning to feel like a volleyball, the next scream landing her in the range of Hyde, who slapped her back with his hand.

"LEAVE!"

"MAKE ME YOU FUCKING BITCH!" The Pack looked a bit startled by Cheshire's outburst, her tail flickering menacingly as she staggered to her feet. "You b-bastards." A long stream of saliva and blood dripped from her mouth as she grinned. "So high and mighty. Who are you to decide good and evil? The fate of fellow evos? Like the pinky toe commanding the entire body!" She sucked on her busted lip.

"Are we better than humans? Hah! We _are _human! Only dumbass humans can be so arrogant." She stumbled, vision growing foggy. The Pack didn't respond, although she thought she heard Skalamander call her nuts.

"Only humans are crazy too, because we created that classification. And only humans," she looked back at Circe, blue eyes on fire. "Are selfish whores who _steal_ what they want." Circe grit her teeth as Cheshire fought to stay standing. This girl had some nerve. Breaking into Abysus and trying to take Rex away. _She _was the thief? The true thief was the blonde weirdo.

They were both surprised when a large, brown plant burst from the ground behind the wounded evo. It was like a large, aggressive flower, inch long teeth rimming its gapping maw. Teeth that clamped into Cheshire's torso from behind and hefted her into the air. Her mouth opened in a silent scream as her arms dangled uselessly from the plant's mouth.

"Brava, my dear. What a lovely sermon." Van Kleiss' voice arrived before he did. "But I'm afraid it's time to leave the pulpit. This has dragged on long enough." He strode into the Pack's circle with something akin to pride, gazing at the cringing Cheshire. The teeth dug deeper with every breath. "You must be in so much pain." Cheshire fought the agony long enough to spit blood in his face. "_Baise toi, bâtard. _(fuck you, bastard [French]).

Van Kleiss was not amused. "How very childish of you. I honestly believed you would've made a wonderful addition to my Pack, Cheshire. Can't you see how much happier Rex is since his decision?" Rex's eyes were blank, his mind at war with itself. "I now see I should finish what I started last time." Without further notice, he stuck her with his needles.

Unlike the last time he had dared such a thing, Cheshire was weak and wounded, the Pack exhausting her to the point of complete helplessness. She wanted to scream, but even that would be a dying sound, cracked and pleading. So she clamped her mouth shut. And took the pain. It would be over soon. She didn't know what to do anymore. She could've lived a life without Rex, without Providence, without the Pack. Just kept running. If she had never followed him after that first meeting, if she had never been drafted, if she had never sought out Noah that fateful night.

She could've just stayed in her dream world, that world of nonsense where everything that would be wasn't and what is wouldn't be. Where a strange little girl played two parts in one body where there was scarcely room for both. Because Cheshire was Crazy as Hell and Crazy as Hell was Cheshire.

She could've but she didn't.

And she shouldn't have.

Hindsight was useless. Consider it all but never cry.

Familiar chill, rock hard veins creeping up her body as numbness spread from the contact point.

No yell. No scream.

"NO!" Rex sliced through Van Kleiss' arm, earning himself an infuriated glare as he swept the girl away. "Rex!" Circe cried, watching him in horror. "What are you doing?"

"What am _I _doing? Real funny." There was no humor in the boy's voice as he remained vigilant. He settled the much too still Cheshire in his arms, ignoring the blood as it seeped into his clothes. There was so much. He could be too late.

"He was _killing _her, Circe. He was just going to…just like that." Circe's eyes were shocked. "We're at war, Rex. We have to defend ourselves!"

"Funny, I don't recall her attacking us first." The two just looked at each other. "Circe," Van Kleiss said through clenched teeth, clutching his arm. It seemed he always lost one whenever Rex was involved. It was going to be a pain to construct another. "Perhaps you should calm us with a little song." She felt doubt in the pit of her stomach. He knew. He knew, and when it wore off again, he would know _again_. It didn't have to be this way. If only…if only he had chosen _her_. If _she _was the one he clutched so close, then she wouldn't have to do this again and again and again.

She opened her mouth.

No sound came out.

Cheshire screwed her eyes together, forcing her sluggish strength to form a dome. A nice, soundproof one, right on top of Circe. The confused goth reached out and, finding a wall between her and the rest of the world, lashed out against it, mouth moving in various curses. "What's that?" Cheshire slurred from her haven in Rex's arms. "Can't hear you." She struggled to keep her eyes open, a weak grin on her lips. Oh, how she loved the last word.

A bubble burst within her, sending Van Kleiss careening into the side of his castle and Skalamander into Biowolf and Hyde. "Go," she muttered to Rex. "While they're distracted. Fly."

"I-I can't." His nanites were beyond control, refusing to obey when his emotions were so confused. And Cheshire didn't have the strength to save either one of them.

The Pack had turned their sights back to the pair as Cheshire closed her eyes and Rex growled defiantly. They narrowly avoided death as the ground tore into a hole of red and black.

The sun was just rising over Providence, a surprisingly foggy morning as the Keep drifted through the air. Those selected for the graveyard shift were just retiring while the rest peeled themselves up and out of slumber, dragging their bodies towards training or coffee. Dr. Holiday was doing the later.

This was it. The first day of the second month since Cheshire and Rex had gone missing. Providence had calmed into a sort of tense lull. Like it was taking deep, slow breaths. Any news now couldn't be good; the two were either dead or treacherous and labeled as Missing In Action. There was no other excuse for them, nothing to save them. Holiday was forced into this mindset as well, preparing herself for tears that she dreaded shedding. It would be admitting that she was powerless. The whole reason she joined this shitty institution was so she wouldn't be powerless anymore.

She had decided, confirmed it with herself as she settled into Six's embrace, that she had no chance of facing down either conclusion.

Six was in a similar state, in his own way. He had survived war, genocide and suicide missions, but felt as though this had the power to level him for good. They weren't just kids. And they weren't just teammates. They were something else, what he didn't know he couldn't survive without until it was gone.

The word "family."

Six wasn't a family man. That was obvious. But it was just as obvious that he had set up some sort of relationship with this unit that was more than business. And he wasn't complaining. Which was the scariest part. Acceptance was admitting he had a problem. Admitting there was something that just couldn't be helped no matter how hard he fought. Six wasn't used to being helpless and he quickly noted that he was drowning in it. After literally searching _everywhere_, every arcade, every put-put course, every amusement park, every theatre he was at his wits end.

He froze.

He was absolutely sure he heard Rex's voice. Which was impossible, because the boy would trigger just about every alarm in the Keep just flying on board. Six was just losing his sanity. The last thing he had to lose, actually.

His brow crinkled in agitation as he heard it again. If he had to pick a form of torture to finally break him, it would not be this. Anything but this phantom voice giving him false hope and urging his legs forward. It was the worst possible pain for Six; and he had been through plenty of pain in his life. He had no immunity to this kind of pain, the pain that doesn't heal over time. Because before Providence he had never been called upon to nurture and educate and he had taken pride in mastering this new skill. Took pride in his students.

God damn it. Make it go away!

The doctor gasped at the sight before her, fighting shock in order to react properly. He looked horrified and winded, hair in his face and a wild look in his eyes. Eyes that over flowed with sorrow and confusion. How she longed to hold him. Give them both comfort and assurance. But reason had to win, because of what coated him and the hall behind him.

Blood. All over him, all over her, all over the formally white walls. And he didn't look injured, but if all that blood had come from her then…oh God. The sweetly metallic smell of it flooded the hall, and she wondered how she had failed to smell it until this moment.

"Please," begged, burgundy brown eyes pleading. "Save her."

Get a hold of yourself, the doctor's mind commanded. He needs you. _They_ need you. You've seen worse, right?

No. Not really.

"You're Dr. Holiday, right? You have to save her!"

Oh. God. "Follow me!" she commanded in a shaky voice. The spooked boy nodded and they sprinted down the hall, leaving bits of Cheshire on the walls and floor. "This is Holiday. I need the med bay prepped for surgery _now _with a team pending my arrival. I'll need a mixture of chloroform, 2.5 grams of isoflurane, and 3.5 grams of urethane with excess material on stand by." She was silent for a moment, listening to the other end. "Too _much?_ I'm concerned we don't have _enough_. She's hurt, Jerry. Badly. And her body rejects regular doses of anesthesia." Questions could wait until later. Cheshire was pale, ghostly for her complexion, and didn't appear to be breathing properly. She had to get her stabilized. She had to…

Focus. On where that voice was coming from. Because if he had to go insane he wanted to go all the way, apologize to Holiday from the other side of bulletproof glass on his way to the funny farm.

A term he had gotten from Cheshire.

But he wasn't crazy. Six felt the muscles in his face twist and stretch, granting him that rare look of surprise. He listened to his communicator in disbelief.

"I found them Six. Oh. God. I found them."


	15. Chapter 15

**BB says: **It's weird, I really don't have much to say. I'm kinda hungry, not that ya'll care. You're all like "shut up and get to the story!". Well fine! I don't love you either *pout*.

Does the Pack remind anyone else of the Brotherhood from X-men? All pro-mutant? Just saying.

**Rating: **Teen, baby! YEAH!

**Disclaimer: **Stop asking! I hate having to repeat myself!….I don't own Generator Rex or Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland. _

_"Everything is funny, if you can laugh at it." ~Lewis Carroll _

Cheshire was injured, Rex was amnesiac, and the only possible person to vouch for them was one of the enemy, who spontaneously appeared barely twenty-four hours after their arrival.

It took Cheshire three days to open her eyes. When she first teased her lids open, her dehydrated optics gave her a blurry picture of red and orange, black hair above brown eyes. When she blinked rapidly in an attempt to clear her vision, he was gone. Perhaps he hadn't been there at all.

Cheshire laid in peace for a few minutes, using it to sort her thoughts. She ran over the events that had landed her in a bed with multiple (yes, she could feel them) lacerations, a deeply bruised shoulder, a few fractured (or shattered) ribs, a throbbing (it had to be broken because so much pain didn't come from bruising) eye socket, and a broken nail.

She was so careless. Even she recognized that. This was the closest she'd come to being killed in a long time. And yes, the charismatic, carefree little Cheshire did learn lessons. Slowly. She was stubborn to a fault, nearly too prideful to accept consequences unless they were thrust into her face repeatedly. And Cheshire wasn't sure if it was Cheshire who was silly or Crazy as Hell. She could feel her second self peeling away like old paint and the girl who remained was long dead.

Damn. Why couldn't she leave well enough alone?

All tangled up in the affairs of Providence. In the affairs of Rex.

She couldn't remember when she started to care again. Or when she had stopped.

These thoughts were cowards who only arose when she was injured and trapped.

Time to think of something else. Keep herself from being herself because she had been gone too long to go back now.

Cheshire wasn't in a hospital, to her unconscious relief, but it was like the med bay had thrown up in her living quarters. She was on a hospital bed in the middle of her room, syringes on the desk, nightstand pushed aside for monitors, oxygen tank wheeled in. And of course the machines keeping watch on her blood pressure and brain activity were going nuts at this point. It was only a matter of time before-

Miss Holiday rushed in, flanked by nurses, checking Cheshire's heart and brain and whatever else the machines told them about the girl. It was an uncomfortable ten minutes for Cheshire, lying inert as strangers rushed about, poking and prodding and taking blood samples and replacing her iv and inquiring about how she was feeling.

Bad. Duh.

Everything must've been normal, or as normal as possible with the throbbing pain echoing through Cheshire's body, because the doctor quickly turned her sights on the bed ridden evo, dismissing the people in scrubs. Her dismissal wasn't impolite, but Cheshire thought it was cold for the doctor. The nurses shared a look (pity? Understanding?) before disappearing on an unspoken cue. Miss Holiday just stood there, looking at the girl with a twisted mouth beneath tear filled eyes. But she wouldn't cry. Oh no. Not Miss Holiday.

"You shouldn't be wasting your time. Those nurses could've handled this." Cheshire's voice cracked from disuse and a thirst that swallowing didn't help. Holiday nodded at the comment, still watching Cheshire.

The girl closed her eyes and breathed in the recycled air of Providence. She had never felt so good while confined. Everything felt a little bit better back in her room, even a room she hadn't wanted, in a place she hadn't wanted to work for. She had, in some twisted sense, missed it. Missed _this. _It wasn't home. But it was comfortable. It was clean. It was warm.

"So what did I miss in our stories?" Turning her head was an effort. There was a strange numbness in her back and sides. She felt like a weight was sitting on her chest. But Cheshire still smiled with all she had, hoping the doctor would return the favor.

The older woman looked like she was about to burst from the melting pot of emotion within her. Like she wanted to scream and cry and laugh all at once. She had been so _angry. _So _worried._

But she continued biting her lips and slowly sat on the bed, brushing hair out of Cheshire's face. Her voice started out shaking but grew stronger the longer she spoke. "Well, you know Carol has an evil twin. Who stole her baby twenty years ago. And now the baby is back and seeking vengeance against Carol's brother because his pyramid scheme caused an impoverished orphanage to close down. And then there's Nick, who's having an affair with Jack…" They discussed soap operas, only pausing so Holiday could offer Cheshire a sip of water to stop her coughing.

Cheshire looked exhausted after half an hour. Holiday stopped talking. "Wow. We've been talking a long time." Cheshire nodded, eyes heavy. She felt but didn't acknowledge Holiday's questioning gaze.

When she next woke up, nearly a day later, Six was her visitor, a nervous looking Holiday standing by the door. Cheshire felt the fierce heat from his gaze as he watched her stir, the hands in his pockets balled into fists and his mouth set in a grim line.

She knew she was about to get the scolding of her life.

"Cheshire," he snarled. Literally. As in bared his teeth.

"Elf man." Her voice was hoarse, but he didn't offer her water like Miss Holiday had. The evo smiled at him. Needless to say the agent didn't return the gesture.

Six's face twitched a bit at the sound of his nickname but otherwise remained stoic, piercing. Cheshire was actually starting to feel nervous when he spoke again. "You will _never _do this again." She felt the look intensify, sizzling through her flesh and into her soul. "_Ever. _Am I making myself clear?" Cheshire cowered, nodding. "Yes. Sir." Six sighed and Cheshire heard how tired he was.

Miss Holiday smiled in relief.

Perhaps she thought Cheshire would resist being told what to do, scream in Six's face that she would do whatever the Hell she wanted whenever the Hell she wanted to do it and that included missing for a month. That she didn't care about their blood pressure reaching record highs and the sleepless nights they spent mulling over possible fates of their charges. That she was some dumb girl who didn't know the difference between a wild ride and being considered. AWOL.

What the doctor didn't know was that Cheshire would gladly take Six's words to heart. She felt horrible. A speck of dirt on the back of a worm. She had made the impenetrable _Six _worry about her. About Rex. She had shattered the illusion of an impenetrable man. Now he was mortal, like the rest of them. Achilles shot through the heel. She didn't _want_ to do this again. Ever. Too much pain all around.

Six pulled up a chair, settling into it like it was it only rest he'd had in days. Miss Holiday sat on the edge of Cheshire's bed. "Cheshire." The girl looked back at Six. "Yeah?"

"When White realizes that you are well enough to hold conversation, he's going to demand answers. Answers he's been seeking for over a month now."

"He tried to get them out of Rex," Holiday explained. "But considering his…state, Rex isn't able to help much." Cheshire closed her eyes. She had almost forgotten. "How bad is it?" The doctor took a breath. "Not as bad as it could've been. He still knows how to use his weapons, knows how to cure. But he only knows what the Pack has told him about Providence. How we capture and at times kill evos, our experimentations, and of course, how we like to kick old ladies." Holiday snorted but it lacked humor. "He refused to leave your side the entire time. Probably thought we would 'pull something'."

"Where is he now?" Cheshire grinned and re-opened her eyes. Miss Holiday looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Six came to her aid. "He's very confused Cheshire. And we would like to know why."

The girl sighed, weariness etched into her body. So very tired. So very sore. In need of chocolate. And ice cream. Maybe both.

Cheshire began her story.

That was the highlight of her day. Although the nap afterwards was great too. Time passed, and Bobo visited, smirking at her state and bearing magazines. "Judging by that shiner, you've been messin' with the mafia's casinos." Cheshire smiled back, unconsciously fingering the area around her eye. She had been wrong; the nurses told her the socket was bruised and hair lined fractured, not broken. "Please. They couldn't handle me; I had to go to Abysus for an eye this bad. You should see the other girl."

Captain Calan brought her flowers and, after a lot of whining, chocolate ice cream. And a radio. And a book. He drew the line at a puppy. "But I is so lllllloooooonely!"

"No Cheshire. You'd fight like cats an' dogs."

"Ha ha. CC made a funny."

Noah. He brought her camera with a sad smile. He somehow managed not to make the situation awkward considering the last time they saw was uncomfortable for all parties involved. "He remembers me. My face, at least. That's good, right?" Cheshire gave him a reassuring upturn of the lips, clicking her tongue. "You guys will be at each other's throats again in no time. That's what guy friends do, right? Along with wrestling bulls and chasing girls?" Noah chuckled, pulling up a chair to chat before leaving to find Rex.

Who never came.

Cheshire was deemed healthy enough to move after a week. White demanded a one on one audience with the girl, who looked up at him from a wheelchair. She had healed well but Holiday insisted she stay off her feet for awhile. Cheshire didn't fight the woman on this point. She healed fast but moving was still an effort, and her body felt like it was made of glass; one wrong move could send shards of pain racing throughout.

The man in white obviously sought to intimidate Cheshire, round her into a corner and squeeze condemning answers out of her. He was furious, eager to take his rage out on someone. Not only did two of his agents go AWOL, one of them had literally forgotten his duties while the other opted to carry out a solo suicide mission. Neither seemed very apologetic.

"Well that doesn't explain why he can still remember his weapons and why you're not under the control of Van Kleiss." Cheshire grinned, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, I would guess that's because he was _told _to forget instead of doing it himself. He wasn't wiped completely clean. I wouldn't be surprised if he remembered vague things like his favorite food. Or color. Or movie." Cheshire had actually gotten this theory from Miss Holiday. But she didn't want White to drag the woman into this situation.

"What about-"

"My ears were damaged from my first encounter with The Pack. I had earplugs in when I met them again and Big Mouth didn't have a chance to sing the last time." White glared down at the girl, processing her words. She wasn't sure if he believed her or not, if he would choose to except her excuse as to why she had left without word of her intentions to Providence.

"You acted without orders, X." A frown appeared between Cheshire's brows at the sound of the name. "Your vigilante acts regarding Rex's capture were immature and ill-executed. You could've easily cost Providence both your lives."

"But I-"

"The moment you realized he had been captured by Van Kleiss you should've contacted Providence so that I would have ample time to devise a more efficient recovery." Cheshire hissed behind her toothy grin, eyes dull. So she was supposed to back off? Mind her own business and let the big boys handle it? How laughable. "You know it's best I didn't do that. Rex sincerely believed he was a member of the Pack. A forced rescue would be seen as an effort to re-capture, not liberate."

"Regardless. Your prolonged absence cost Providence time and soldiers. This poor reaction to the situation proves your lack of restraint coinciding with your inability to participate on any future teams." Cheshire's heart skipped a beat. "What are you saying, Milk Man?"

"What I am saying, Evo X, is that you will be re-stationed until further notice." Cheshire blinked. "What?"

"You are going to be re-"

"I heard you. The question was to show my disbelief." Cheshire puckered her lips in agitation. Her hands clutched her armrests, her aching body struggling. With effort, she lifted herself from her chair to challenge White. She imagined it wasn't very scary being confronted by a shaky, wounded girl. Her legs threatened to fold beneath her, but she refused to be viewed as an invalid.

"No." White raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"No. I refuse to go." White's eyebrow lowered back into place, a frowned etched across his face. "This is not for negotiation, Evo X. Your new post shall be-"

"I'm not going." She let him boil for a moment. "Unless you do something for me." White scowled. Or at least Cheshire thought he did. It seemed like his face was always a scowl. "You're refusing _direct orders_ unless your superior officer does you a favor?" Cheshire nodded solemnly. The white room grew quiet, the static of their glares nearly audible.

"Let's face it," Cheshire continued "I went missing and you didn't have a clue. It proves that I could've left at anytime beforehand and could've evaded Providence officials. But I didn't go. The entire time I've been working here has been like a favor to you." And Rex. She did it for Rex too. "So the least you can do is allow me one little thing. It's painless, it's free, and it'll get me out of your hair." He was still silent. Cheshire twitched and ground out "please" from between the clenched teeth of her smile.

"And if I say no?"

"I'll leave. I'll fucking leave, and once again you'll be completely lost."

A smile -slow, mocking- drew itself across White's face. "You've got a lot of nerve." Cheshire clacked her teeth together. "That's what makes me charming. And a good soldier." White Knight shuffled the papers on his desk, organizing them into an order Cheshire couldn't see. Once everything was in it's proper place, he took out a pen and positioned it carefully over the signature line.

"As soon as you state your request, I will sign this binding re-location statement. You are required to leave in the next twenty four hours. You may not return to this base, via your powers or otherwise, unless proper clearance is given. If you violate this, you will be court marshaled and punished severely. I won't hold back because you're a child. Do you understand?" Cheshire nodded, smirking. "Alright then." White clicked his pen in a very obvious manner.

"Well, might I begin with I don't like you, you don't like me, and this will be good riddance to bad rubbish. Try not to call me; I will pretend to be going through a tunnel. At all hours of the day. I will also throw darts at a blown up picture of you that will be suspended in my room. Okay?" White raised an eyebrow, but refused to dignify her comment with a response.

"Secondly, get rid of mac and cheese day in the cafeteria. No, that is not my request, so don't sign yet, that is my recommendation. Seriously. Even _I _hate it and I can stomach Holiday's cake." Cheshire took a deep breath. Here goes nothing…

"My request is that Allison Bell be taken with me and her grandparents placed in protective custody. Immediately." White frowned. "Who is Allison Bell?"

"Breach." His look hardened in all of a second. Cheshire could see him working his jaw. "And what reason do you have that could _possibly _convince me to let you, of all people, guard her?" Cheshire scoffed and shifted in place. Her feet were falling asleep. Along with the rest of her body.

"I'm not gonna _guard _her. She's my friend. I just don't wanna be alone." White leaned closer, hiding his mouth behind his folded hands. "Breach is a criminal who has been assisting Van Kleiss in crimes against humanity for years. If you think I can just let her go scotch free on your word, you're sadly mistaken."

"If you heard the second part of my request-"

"I did."

"Than you should understand. She wasn't exactly helping him of her own free will, ya know. Van had her Nana and Pop-pop."

"Regardless, her track record it too extensive for her to be anywhere but the Hole." Cheshire stiffened at the name of her former prison. "The _Hole?_ You put a girl who is suffering from not only a traumatic experience but also a deep psychosis in the _Hole?_" White looked taken aback at the fact that Cheshire was indeed very logical in her insanity.

"What of it?"

"Throw gas on the fire why don't you? Cure her, and let her come with me. I'll take care of her."

"You don't have the best credit, X."

"She wants to be normal; she wants to see her grandparents again." Cheshire held her chin high. "Curing her would kill two, no, _three _birds with one stone." She counted it on her fingers. "Breach would no longer be a threat, I wouldn't be lonely and more inclined to get into trouble, and she would be able to see the grandparents you're putting in protection. Which would, in turn, help with her rehabilitation. Four birds!" White narrowed his eyes. She was giving him a headache, being both articulate _and _smart. He suddenly felt as thought he tables had turned in their little one on one, like she was making the rules. Cheshire took his silence as a refusal.

"Listen to me! I know what I'm saying. If you keep her prisoner it's only a matter of time before she escapes! And then she'll be pissed on top of unstable. Do you really want to deal with _two _crazy evo girls? Both who can teleport?" White took a deep breath. Did he really need another teenage ward of Providence underfoot? Allowing Breach to remain within Providence was a risky move, but the information she could provide regarding the Pack's future plans could be irreplaceable.

"Your requests will be considered and-"

"Consider nothing! Do! Their address is 167 Buck Moose Drive in Ashley, North Dakota." Cheshire turned to leave, talking over her shoulder and not betraying the fact her body had pins and needles of exhaustion. "Hurry up though. I don't want Van Kleiss there before you. Then you can kiss what semblance Alice has of happiness goodbye." Cheshire was almost to the door. The room was suddenly uncomfortable, her bed clothes sticking to her body with a cold sweat. She heard pen scratching across paper behind her before she fell flat on her face.

She half expected the White Knight to burst out laughing.

"Ow," she mumbled into the tile. It was pleasantly cool, and she closed her aching eyes. It felt like the flu. Only the aches were ten times worse, and steadily getting sharper. "Oh, what's the matter, X? Exert yourself?"

"_Baise toi."_ Cheshire pushed her palms against the ground, struggling to get back up, only to come back to rest on the floor. "Um," she felt her embarrassment mounting. "A little help?" She heard his smirk as he said "Sorry. I don't leave my room." The screen went black.

Cheshire sighed and closed her eyes. Oh well. She'd slept in worse places. And the floor did feel kinda nice. A least she wasn't on her feet anymore. She heard the door hiss open before she could fall asleep.

"Cheshire," the monotone drag of Six's voice entered the room. Cheshire moaned. "What, Elf Man?" The floor jumbled her words. She could almost hear him lift an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

"Listening for ground weevils."

"I see." Silence. Cheshire opened her eyes as Six spoke again. So much for getting any sleep. "Didn't Holiday tell you to stay in the chair?"

"Yep."

"And you didn't."

"Nope."

"You've probably reopened your injuries."

"Yep." A sigh. From both parties for different reasons.

"Cheshire-"

"Are you gonna lecture me, or help me up?" Six actually seemed to consider it. Cheshire frowned.

The stoic green ninja swept her into his arms like she was weightless, crossed the room in five broad strides and placed her, gently, back in her chair. "Anything else?" Cheshire pouted, avoiding his eyes. "No."

Despite her response, Six grabbed the handles of her chair and escorted her back to her room.

"What did he want?"

"He's re-stationing me tomorrow." The rubber handles on her chair squealed as Six tightened his grip. The only sign of his feelings. "Is that so?" Cheshire shrugged, a smug smile on her face. "Whatever. I got what I wanted in the end."

"You wanted to leave?" Cheshire chortled.

"In _exchange _for my leaving. I'm taking Breach." Six let out a tiny breath of air, barely audible. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Rex and I would be dead without her; she's my friend."

"I see." Now she felt it. Blood soaking through her shirt. "Elf."

"I already called the nurses. They'll stitch you up." She took a painful breath, careful not to breathe too deep and expand her chest. "Good." He tried to help her into her bed, but she refused, struggling up on her own. She wanted to keep at least a scrap of her pride intact.

"Six." The sound of his real name startled him when coming from the girl. "Yes, Cheshire?" She looked uncomfortable, eyes staring down at her toes as she leaned back against her pillows. It was odd to see the willful girl so hurt, so fragile. Like the slightest gust of wind would blow her into oblivion, never to be found again. It had bothered him when he first saw her lying there. But seeing her open blue eyes that still held fight was comforting. Assuring. It let him know it was okay to be pissed.

"Tell Rex…I'm sorry. I know…this is weird and….and I'm glad he's back. Even if he doesn't know us anymore. I'm just glad he's back with those who…who care about him." She grinned, eyes glinting as they looked up at Six. "He'd better call me! Wherever I'm sent."

Six nodded, passing nurses as they rushed into Cheshire's room to fuss over how pale she had gotten from the trip. He wondered if the girl knew Rex had been following them since they left White's office. That he came to see her when he knew she was asleep.

He could've sworn he heard Cheshire laughing as he walked away.


	16. Chapter 16

**BB says: **Well guys, all good things must come to and end. And this is it. Fear not! I see a sequel and a couple of oneshots in the future. But here's to all the people who reviewed!

I found EVO Noah cute. Like a huge puppy. I wanted to play fetch with him or scratch him behind the ears. It doesn't hurt that I find the human version of Noah adorable. I also appreciate the fact that Rex has another new weapon (those arm thingies). Awesomeness. Now if he would name his new creations we'd be in business.

**Disclaimer: **No. After 16 chapters and a lot of tears, I still don't own Generator Rex or Lewis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland. _I know. I'm shocked too.

**Rating: **Teen.

**BB says some more: **Listing ya'll takes too long. Just know that I loves my reviewers and will not share my ice cream. Those of you who messaged me already know. For those who are new…*glare*. Take some. I dare you.

**BB needs to shut up and get to the story: **I was at the store with my mom (because sometimes she can actually knock me out long enough to drag me there) when I saw this dog waiting in a car. The car was in the handicapped spot, so I mentioned how dumb it was for a blind person to leave their seeing eye dog in the car when they go shopping. My mom stumbled a bit in her brisk, business woman walk, glancing over at me like she thought I was kidding.

I wasn't.

I smiled at her. The look she gave me made me wonder if I had something stuck in my retainer.

She bumped me with her hip, laughing. "Honey. You think a blind man was driving that car?" I blinked. "Why else would a seeing eye dog be in there?" Keep in mind I had been up late the night before and had not taken a nap. I was delirious along with slightly cranky.

"Julie…there are so many things wrong with that assumption."

"Yeah…oh wait. But…" And I start laughing too. I don't think seeing eye dogs help blind people drive. They should though.

_"He was part of my dream, of course - but then I was part of his dream, too." ~Lewis Carroll _

The European branch of Providence was a smaller, prototype establishment that began operating in sync with it's North American counterpart upon completion. The highly advanced establishment was constructed from the remains of a sacked castle in the Irish countryside, surrounded by fields of grass and herdsman. And sheep. Cheshire was allergic to wool but that was another story.

The weather was cooler and foggier than Cheshire was used to, living in the desert surroundings of the North American branch, but she found she liked the slight chill the early morn granted her. It was refreshing in a way she hadn't felt in a long time considering she hardly ever slept in her tree anymore. Cheshire visited more often now -keeping it clean and the pictures updated. She was missing the one of the diner- but primarily spent her time within the confines of Providence. She didn't fear repercussions for her wanderings. But Allison was on base and Cheshire didn't think the girl was ready to be alone yet. She wasn't even ready to see her grandparents again.

While it didn't posses many of the amenities (no Petting Zoo, no Keep, a small but modern hanger, a single cafeteria) the smaller base was still effective for stalling the evo threat in Europe before extensive damage was done. A much closer solution than waiting for the arrival of its sister across seas. Cheshire took her relocation well because she considered it to be just another adventure to visit on a rainy day. She snapped pictures like never before, often surprising innocent Providence workers as they tried to wake up in the morning or were eating their lunch or were loading into their jets. Photos stacked up, soon taking up space on the walls of her tree home as well as the ceiling.

Soon everyone knew to look out for the new girl with the bright flash, the girl who spoke the languages of most of the members and who doled out nicknames like blessings. The girl who was an evo, but not like most (like that American. Rick? Rich?), and who proposed confections after every mission completed. Missions that were much simpler now days; less casualties left everyone in a good mood.

Cheshire smiled and laughed and made new friends amongst the people around her. She had often ventured to this area of the world in the past, becoming accustomed to their traditions and sayings. She was too charismatic, too innocent, too in-your-face for her not to be liked. Simply put, she was _loved. _And yet she couldn't bring herself to contentment.

At the end of the day, lying in the room she had yet to finish decorating staring at the ceiling with the glowing star stickers (courtesy of Simone, from France) she had to face herself once again. Or face who she would be. Could be? Should be? Because this wasn't Cheshire. Cheshire didn't settle. Cheshire didn't stop. Cheshire kept moving. Cheshire kept floating in a dream because that's all life was. All life is. Right? RIGHT? RIGHT NEK-

No. Not her name.

Even in her dream.

Three months. She hadn't seen Rex in three months. Not since she was lying in a bed at the main base. Not that he had come to see her.

It was the Knight's way of punishing them, she realized, for their prolonged absence. Although he had explained it to her, Cheshire hadn't expected it to be so…punishing. She felt like the crime didn't deserve such harsh repercussions, like part of her exile was the frowny man's own passive aggressive way of seeking vengeance against her pointed tongue. Well, fuck him. It was a lot more fun without a white haired ass-face breathing over her shoulder anyway.

But then there was that nagging in the back of her mind, the thought rotting away at her like mold growing on her brain. A thought she had suppressed repeatedly until it reinforced itself, dominating much of her consciousness. She refused to acknowledge it but it didn't stop complaining. Didn't stop aching.

He wasn't trying.

To see her.

Talk to her.

He wasn't _trying._

This tiny, insignificant fact quickly grew into an issue for Cheshire. It led to an nasty crop of uncertainty in the evo girl that she couldn't explain. It was making meditation more difficult everyday as her chi flow sputtered with her confusion resticting it.

How was she to know if he was happy? If he was glad she had retrieved him from the true villains? What if he had been content? What if the illusion was all that he wanted; a place to belong, a beautiful girlfriend, freedom, a beautiful girlfriend…. Being unable to talk about this, unable to reason it out, with herself or anyone else was absolutely maddening.

Cheshire sighed, causing the girl in front or her to attempt to look back. She was a pretty, frail thing, with light brown hair and cattail eyes. She was pale, but not oddly so, and she blushed easily. The fragile beauty was complemented by the cotton candy pink of her sweater and the khaki brown of her skirt.

Cheshire was washing and combing the girl's hair in preparation for a trim. The split ends desperately needed to be tamed and it took a month for her to convince the jumpy girl to trust her with scissors near her skull.

"It's nothing Allison," the girl didn't respond. She didn't talk very much. Or at all, since she was cured. The therapist said it would be a while before she could properly express herself as Allison again. Her mind had to detoxify. She had been Breach so long it was hard for her to be anything else. At times she would caress the places on her sides that once held extra arms, a look of distant remembrance on her face. Yes. She was still stuck in the past.

Cheshire understood completely. She often snuck them both out for fresh air, trying to revitalize the springtime of girlhood in her companion. It seemed to be working. Slowly.

As Cheshire adjusted the water temperature to rinse her friend's hair in the sink, her communicator made an odd, chirpy buzz noise, something she had never heard before. It startled her, and she accidentally made the water too hot. Allison whimpered but didn't resist. Cheshire turned it back down and rubbed her back apologetically. She was so out of it lately. Her communicator going on the fritz was the proverbial cherry on top of her sundae.

"Do you like it? I just straightened the edges. Because that's all I can do…I've never cut hair before…" Allison didn't answer but her eyes were shimmering when she looked in the mirror. Cheshire grinned happily, wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. "You're so cute! I'll have to beat boys off you with razor blades and lemon juice." There was a knock at the door. "_Eingegangen _(Come in [German])."

"I'm sorry, what?" Cheshire listened carefully to their accent.

"Oh. _Vieni in _(Come in [Italian])." The solider walked in, a smile on his face behind his Providence issue mask. "Can I help you?"

"Wow. _Siete incredibili,_(You are amazing). You are Cheshire, right?… can I ask-"

"Six. Not counting English of course. I'm pretty new to German and Hungarian still kicks my ass, so I speak Dutch instead. But not Irish. It's ironic that I'm here." Cheshire sighed. She was used to this kind of meeting. Everyone was amused at the fact that such a young girl had learned so many languages and could instigate conversation. "What do you need, _amico _(friend)?" This particular Providence flunky seemed to have fallen into a sort of daze looking at Cheshire, and jumped a little at her question.

"W-what? Oh. I come for the escorting of Miss Bell to her room for curfew. Because it's ten and it's late…and, you know."

"I almost forgot. Off with you, Allison! Bring home the bacon. Or win the bread! Or something like that… Good night, good morning, and good afternoon." Cheshire ran the comb through Allison's hair a final time before letting her stand. The green eyed girl's face lit up before walking the past the Providence agent and into the hall. Cheshire blinked, wondering why her visitor was still just standing there. "Anything else?" he jumped again. "What? Oh, um, no. Sorry."

"Okay then." More silence.

"You could introduce yourself. You're new right?"

"Oh! _Si, _my name is Ermanno. Ah, Private Deloriano, because I'm a soldier here and you are too and…ummm. If you need something…" Cheshire raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Thanks. I'll let you know."

"_Mi scusi _(excuse me)." The nervous Italian beat a hasty retreat. Cheshire was quite confused. What an odd guy.

That noise again. Twice in a row, increasing in volume each time. Cheshire winced, a headache developing like a cap on her skull. She attempted to just shut the annoying device off. The stupid thing was an awkward fit in her awkward ears anyway. Instead of going silent the earpiece lowered in volume, static clearing until she could hear someone breathing on the other side.

"Hello?" No response. But she could hear them inhale.

"Hello?" Nothing.

"Hello?" Annoyed, Cheshire tried a different approach.

"_Bonjour _(hello [French])?"

"_Ni hao _(hello [Chinese])?"

"_Ciao _(hello [Italian])?"

"_¿Hola _(hello [Spanish])?"

"_Hallo _(hello [German])?"

"_Hej _(hello [Danish])?" She was showing off just a bit, but she had to be sure it wasn't someone whose second language was English and who didn't understand her the first time. She was in a base of many peoples with many different dimensions of one word. After she rattled off so many versions of the same greeting, she was relatively sure they were messing with her and her face developed an irritated tick. "Damn it White. If this is a prank call I'll leave a flaming bag of dog poo in your offi-"

"Cheshire." It's funny how a single word can shut down an angry rant. A single word muttered in a murmured voice. Cheshire felt her mouth twist and bend as it decided how to react to this. A grin was what she was used to, her disguise of choice. But she couldn't make it, her face muscles wouldn't obey. They stayed in a straight, frozen, line.

Rex.

Damn him.

She willed her voice to be smooth. And it was. Like gravel.

"W-what Rex? Geez, you're like a telemarketer. Calling people who don't want to talk to you. You know White can probably hack this channel right?" She wasn't sure if she spoke with relief or indifference. Nothing was listening to her anymore, her emotions were running away from home. She wanted so badly to be angry or annoyed or _something_ other than elated at the sound of his voice.

"Cee," Cheshire's face twitched again, but her grin wouldn't appear. It was on strike. Rex was careful when speaking, like he thought she was going to blow up. And she desperately wanted to. "I think I can handle hacking a little ear communicator."

"You think you can handle a lot of things, but that doesn't make it true. Why are you calling me anyway?" There was an awkward silence on the other end. Cheshire twisted a hair between her fingers.

"Cheshire," Rex started again.

"Stop saying my name."

"Do you remember that diner in South Carolina?" Cheshire cocked a brow. Her missing picture came to mind. "Why?"

"Would you meet me there?"

"Now?"

"I'm sorta standing outside it. Now." Cheshire took a moment to process the information. How did he even find it? How did he remember the small town it was in? "It's like twenty-two hundred hours here. Bedtime. What if I said no?" She was searching for her blue sweater (not wool) as she spoke.

"Then this call would be a waste of time on both our parts." She let Rex hear her sigh. "Please Cee. I…I just need to see you. Badly." She felt her heart defrost, little ice chips falling off. Damn him. "Don't move." She changed into jeans. "Where are you? I can't remember the name of the town." The froggy slippers stayed on her feet.

"There's a sign that says Jedburg." Ah, of course. Now she remembered giggling at the name. The sign that he was talking about was actually in her picture of the little diner, situated just after navigating off the dirt road. She had snapped the shot cruising on the Rex Ride so long ago. With one more sigh for good measure, Cheshire allowed herself to vanish, reappearing in Jedburg, SC.

Rex looked good, Cheshire deduced as she swaggered up to him. She kept a stern distance of three feet between. A bright blue beret graced the girl's head, making her eyes pop in an alluring way while also covering hair she hadn't bothered brushing. All day. She carried her typical shoulder bag, but it was covered in patches from various European countries, with the Eifel tower in the center of the bright mosaic.

If Cheshire had seen him constantly for the past three months the subtle changes in Rex would've flown under her radar. But she noted that his hair had grown a bit, held back by new goggles (he probably lost the ones she gave him) and he was maybe a little taller. Boys grew fast. His warm brown eyes were the same, but held a certain glint that Cheshire couldn't name as he watched her approach. His jacket looked new, no longer the faded red and a orange of a well worn coat but bright like the summer sun. Like the smile he wasn't giving her. The fingers of his gloves were hanging from one of his pockets instead of residing on his restless hands.

"Pie?" Cheshire asked after they stared at each other much too long. The flustered look she'd missed the most crossed his face. At least she recognized that. "Yeah. Pie."

The interior of the diner was the same. Same truckers with different faces, same waitress with a different haircut.

Cheshire felt the same as well.

Like she hadn't changed either.

"What'll it be?" the waitress politely tried to ignore Cheshire's tail, asking Rex.

"Two slices of apple with a root beer float." Cheshire answered anyway, a smile on her face. The waitress looked unsure before returning the smile with a shaky one of her own. "Of course sweetheart. Be right up." She kept checking over her shoulder like she expected the girl with the furry appendage to start eating customers. Cheshire wasn't too worried. She didn't think the woman would bother calling Providence. Even if she did they probably wouldn't be here in time to catch the sly blonde evo.

"Their pie good?"

"You liked it last time." She looked at Rex and managed a tiny, friendly smile. She knew this boy. The one who looked eager to reabsorb what he has lost and anxious to continuing learning. "Now why did you call me here? You don't like pie enough to go cross country for it."

"I was on a mission in Charleston."

"Nevertheless." Rex shook his head as he looked down at his fingers. His eyes were unsure.

Cheshire took a breath, choosing to go out on a rotten limb. "Is it the Pack?" She whispered. Rex jerked his head up and looked at her accusingly. Like mentioning the name was an offense. "No! God, Cee." She shrugged. "I _am _here if you need to talk, Rex. I imagine this is painful. And…you used to talk to me a lot." She didn't mean for pain to leak into her words, but they sounded pathetic even to her own ears. Rex winced.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Cheshire played with a napkin, tearing it apart and arranging the pieces. No matter how she tried, what she formed, it would always be a napkin at its base. It couldn't truly be anything else. She grew frustrated and stilled her fingers. Rex shifted uncomfortably.

"Not talking to you. Calling you. Not visiting you when you were hurt." He took a jittery breath, looking away from her again. "I just…I just couldn't look at you. I couldn't _think _about facing you. It was my fault. I should've known…I should've saved you sooner…" Cheshire shrugged awkwardly. Oh yeah. There's that. "It's alright. I don't need you to leap to my rescue."

"No, it's NOT alright. You could've _died. _You almost _died_. I just stood there like an idiot. It's all my fault…what do I do with that? What can I say?" Cheshire smiled but the look in her eyes was dangerous. Rex understood. "I'm sorry. I'll leave it alone." Mood officially soured, Cheshire made ready to leave. Her toes began to fade. "Is that it? Because-"

"I'm at the end of my journal." Cheshire raised an eyebrow. "It took you this long?"

"I didn't want to finish it yet. But I did eventually."

"Oh. Really?" Cheshire's voice was cold and sarcastic. She wanted to go pout in her room. This feeling of uncertainty was getting so tiresome that she was close to simply vanishing without another word. "We were really close, huh?" Cheshire grinned bitterly. "I guess. It's all relative really. To some we would've been best friends; to others, mere acquaintances." She blew the pieces off the counter, watching them float to the ground. Still a napkin. Never changed.

"What were we, Cee?" She narrowed her eyes.

"I told you, it's rela-"

"No. I mean," the boy with the expressive brown eyes struggled to find the words. "What were we? Us. Together. What?" The girl blinked at his question. "What?" His hand slid across the counter to grab hers as he looked her in the eyes.

"Were we…I mean were you and I…together? Like a…couple?" Cheshire's chest suddenly became tight. It felt like the entire diner was suddenly listening to them, her face warming in both embarrassment and indignation as he stared right through her with eyes that held too much hope. Too much sincerity. What had…what did…? She wanted to vanish, disappear, hide. This was too much to process. There was too much…too much…

"No." Cheshire's voice was harder than she meant it to be; perhaps harder than it had ever been. And she wasn't sure why. "We weren't." She closed her eyes and pulled her hand away. She felt the air condense and knew his face was crumbling.

"I see." Strange disappointment swirled in Rex's heart.

She was in his mind. Night and day. And he couldn't remember why.

It wasn't like picturing Circe's face, variations of black and red, with a definite image carved into the recesses of his mind. Thinking of Cheshire was like a beam of light, allusively bright and on the edges of his vision. So very bright. So very near. But unreachable. No matter how close he came, how desperately he grasped at the fleeting image, the light passed through his fingers, unaware of his advances. It warmed him but refused to do more for the chill that would advance when it was gone.

He thought if he saw her it would go away. The feeling would diminish because surely he was exaggerating about how much this girl affected him. How amazing she smelled, how bright her eyes were, how calming her demeanor could be. It was worse now, knowing she was so close. If anything he had been underestimating her power. The fact that she held this over him after three months and a forgotten friendship, was disconcerting. It was deep. Scary deep.

Rex was torn in two. He was still in love with Circe, right? His siren, his muse, his…

He knew if Cheshire would laugh for him it would be so amazing. Just one laugh and he would lose himself in the ripples of her joy.

When he read of missions with her, the adventures, the sudden realization that the tomboy kitten who had been stalking him for the better part of four years was…

_Raro _(quirky).

_Elegante _(smart).

_Hermoso _( beautiful). And he couldn't touch her. Never had the nerve. The words of his journal…

_Have to go on a mission without Cheshire now. Not worried; at least I can come back to her. Remember her smile._

Sitting in arms' reach of such a wonderful creature that he had pined for in the past and could feel himself starting to long for again…

_Don't like her touching Noah. Or any guy, really. I warned her stuff like that can get her in trouble. Remember to keep her from kissing anyone else._

"Here you go. Two slices of apple and a frothy root beer." Cheshire beamed at the woman. "Thank you." The woman turned her lips up at the evo girl. She had gained confidence after watching Cheshire behave like a normal girl. Or as normal as she could get.

And what about Circe? Why was she in his heart still?

_Still with Van Kleiss. I don't know what to say. Why does she do this ? Remember to help her._

"Rex? Eat your pie before I do." Cheshire's eyes lit upon him, once again causing that confusing rush of emotion to surface. He took a bite but it tasted like cardboard. "Do you want some of my soda? It's too big. No one wants a sugar high Cheshire." She chuckled good naturedly, trying to raise his spirits from the rocks she had dashed them upon.

_There's something she's hiding. But my words are gone. I don't know how to stop her pain. Remember not to ask about March._

The black haired boy shook his head, silent as he took another bite of his pie. It must be delicious, he mused, as he watched Cheshire eat with vigor. But he really couldn't taste anything right now. His stomach was churning, his heart throbbing, his mind overheating.

Why did this hurt? Looking at her, hearing her, touching her.

He set down his fork. "Rex?" And left the diner. Cheshire blinked. Once. Twice. "Check please." She left several bills on the counter. She had won them betting on a game of cricket. She hoped the diner took euros.

The setting sun reminded Cheshire to paint on the walls of her new room. "Rex. Rex!" He spun on his heel and she held her breath. His eyes were closed off. She lacked the words. He fled once again.

"Come back here!" What started out as a walk turned into a run as Rex picked up his pace. Cheshire increased her speed as well. Soon they were both sprinting, a little game of silent tag. Wind whipped through their hair, the smell of wet and swamp and humidity in their noses and mouths. Mosquitoes were still out and about, it was too early for them to die, but they went ignored at the two teenagers ran down the side of the road. Past stables, paper plants, a pond and a few turtles. They ran, earning odd looks from locals and, when the people panned out, scaring birds into the sky.

When neither could run any longer, when they felt their lungs would burst, they stumbled to a miraculously mutual stop.

Cheshire was breathing hard, grinning like an idiot, and sweating bullets. She looked up at Rex, still a few yards ahead of her, in the same position.

"Where," she panted, blotting the sweat from her brow with her sleeve. If she had to guess she would said they had run a little over four miles. "Where you running to, Rex?"

His nervous smile caught and reflected the light of the sun as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know." Cheshire put a hand to her ear although she heard him fine. "What?"

"I don't know! But I know I'm going there fast!" Cheshire blinked. And laughed. It was breathless and hesitant, sounding a bit like choked wheezes, but Cheshire laughed long and hard. She heard him join her.

"Let me know when you get there," she wiped her tears of mirth. It felt so good to hear him laugh. To know they were each enjoying the company of the other. "Because if you don't know where you want to go, you'll get there eventually!" She took a few breaths to calm down. When she looked up at Rex, he was still laughing, but had once again turned away from her. That wouldn't do at all. Didn't he know how to play?

"Hey. Rex!" She took off running, surprising him with a burst of speed and tackling him to the ground. "Tag. You're it." She smiled so hard her eyes scrunched up, tension leaving her body. It had been so long since she played a good game of tag. She was pleased with herself for not losing and rode a victory high that left her at peace. The air was so clear, the road was so free, her friend was so close.

She missed this.

Rex's smile melted away as his eyes softened. Cheshire felt her skin prickling as he gazed at her face with extreme concentration, still breathing hard from their run. The setting sun was kind to his russet skin, granting him a golden glow that reflected the regality of a warrior. His body was warm and powerful beneath her, muscles coiled as hands came to rest on her hips. She jumped a bit at the touch.

"Hey. Why so serious? Are you mad because I tagged you?" Cheshire chuckled uneasily. The air was strained again; she didn't understand. His response wasn't what she expected as he threw his weight up and sideways, rolling on top of her. He pinned her with his body and her hands went to his chest in mock defense. All the strength had left her arms.

"R-Rex. What-"

"Cheshire." There it was again. Just the way he said her name was enough. She looked up at his eyes, unnerved by the close vicinity of their bodies and her lack of escape. Cheshire wasn't used to being scared. The animal in her was growing desperate. "What?" Her voice was a shaky whisper. It didn't sound like Cheshire.

"Why…weren't we more?" She ran through her options carefully, the reasons behind their platonic relationship and how it had led them to this point. In most case scenarios, it shouldn't or wouldn't end this way. What sort of horse playing vagabond companionship ended with intimate contact? A large, warm body pressed against hers and making her feel so _soft_ so _small _so _fragile. _The pressure of his powerful presence combined with the musk of a young man was overwhelming in its sweetness.Cheshire was one the verge of succumbing to an instinct that was on a basic level. A level that wanted this so bad, it paralyzed her legs even as her muscles went into overdrive.

The theoretical Law of Attraction? The uncertain pull of nature?

"I…don't know. I don't know much." He was close. Too close.

_Not close enough._

_Amazing. Can't stop laughing. Remember to talk to Cheshire._

_I have to keep her safe. It's my fault she's here. Remember to make her happy._

_Remember to get her film._

_Remember to back her up._

_I think I…_

God, Cee was so beautiful. She lost her hat in their run and her loose white hair was a messy halo in the grass beneath her. It finally granted her the angelic nature she deserved. Stray strands of white were lost between her curved lips as she breathed quietly. Rex reached with shaking fingers to brush them away, thrilled at how soft she was. Wide blue eyes sparked up at him in alarm at the touch, barely present anticipation trapping her body. Like she knew what was coming but didn't know how to react. Had she ever had a boyfriend before? Had anyone ever touched her like this?

The thought angered him.

…_could make this…_

Gently, like she would bolt, Rex pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't passionate, it wasn't deep. It was a soft decision to love, asking permission to continue. She too shocked to respond. Cheshire looked at him with wide eyes as he pulled away.

…_work…_

"What was that for?" Rex smiled and leaned in again. She hadn't punched him in the nose. That was a good sign. "I was tasting you." Cheshire stopped breathing as he pressed his lips to her top lip.

"And?" He breathed a laugh onto her mouth. Sweet, almost painfully so, with soft undertones of caramel and vanilla. Root beer. "I like it." He touched his lips to hers again, and a rush ran through Cheshire's body.

_Remember to try. Someday._

Cheshire was slow to respond but eventually met his gentle movements with a hard press of shameful desperation. Bad kitty. Friends don't do this.

Not even best friends.

But if he stopped now she would hate him.

It was strange to kiss someone she had known for so long. They both wanted this, that much was obvious, but it didn't elude the fact that seconds ago they had been friends. More likely to kick than kiss, to question than caress, and now she was being pressed into this boy's arms like he was scared someone would run by and snatch her. Like they were lovers.

Cheshire was no stranger to admiration. She'd had boyfriends globally but could count them on one hand. Brief relationships instigated out of curiosity instead of mutual affection. Demonstrations of affection that had never lasted more than a month, consisting of only held hands and shy kisses. Occasionally she was daring enough to pull them close and listen to their heart, relishing in the warmth of contact. But when they wanted more, mentally and physically, she vanished. She could tell they loved her. But she couldn't…she didn't understand their devotion. Didn't know how to give it back. But this. This was…different. It felt so wrong and so right at the same moment because it wasn't supposed to not be unlike what it wasn't at this collision. Cheshire didn't know to feel guilty or elated. She allowed herself to succumb to instinct as their kiss grew more adventurous.

Gentle, female hands migrated from Rex's chest to his neck and onward into his hair as sharp teeth raked her mouth. A bolt of sweet pain throughout her body. She jumped a bit. He ran his tongue along the reddened lips as an apology, and she let him feel the smile forming. A calloused thumb pressed into her jaw, caressing her face, and she shyly obliged. Rex eased his tongue into her mouth and pressed it to the back of her teeth. She allowed him time to gain his bearings -shivering when he touched the ridges of her mouth- before she nipped him playfully and begun a battle for dominance. He tasted like cinnamon and ginger, brown sugar and sweet syrup residue from the pie they had eaten. Spicy and yet daringly sweet. Delicious.

Refusing to lose and opting to cheat, Rex pressed his thumb just below her rib cage, earning a squeak and gaining him the upper hand. She was ticklish. He wrapped his tongue in hers, pinning both. "Cheater," Cheshire panted as Rex broke away. "All's fair," he breathed back, leaving breadcrumb kisses across her jaw and onto her neck. A hand crawled into her hair where it tangled itself and gently drew her head back, back, back until she was arched against the boy's chest, granting his kisses more freedom along her collarbone. As the eager evo pressed his teeth to the tender flesh between her neck and shoulder, Cheshire made a soft, falling noise in the back of her throat. She became putty with no will of her own, longing to be molded completely against this larger body. What a shame. She had no fight…

…her thoughts grew fuzzy.

Pleased, Rex went back to her swollen lips and their kiss intensified to a passionate sucking and biting. The hand at her hip pressed Cheshire evermore into him while the hand in her hair held her steady. Fingers crept under her suddenly too thick sweater. She gasped when the chilled digits met the smooth warmth of her lower back, and Rex hummed into her mouth with gentle amusement. The skin on skin contact was too much for Cheshire to bear, her hands seeking out warmth beneath the boy's shirt. She froze as she ran her nails down his back, thinking she'd hurt him because he pulled away and hissed. The worry was put to rest when a soft groan escaped his mouth and he kissed her more fervently than ever. She experimented, earning louder vocalizations when she traced his powerful chest and stomach.

Cheshire pulled away a fraction in order to kiss the corner of his lips and yank his head back with a bit more (a lot more) aggression than he had done to her. She ran her tongue over his Adam's apple and nipped it gently before licking up to his ear. His neck was bitter from dried sweat and mingled in odd perfection with the sweet from his mouth. Rex shivered at her ministrations.

"It's getting late," the girl teased huskily into his ear, biting his lobe and earning another quake from his body. "I should get back." The hand resting on her hip wrapped around her waist as Rex gave a low moan. She felt it rumble through his chest. "Five more minutes." He nuzzled into Cheshire's neck and she purred. "I don't know when I'll see you again." The femme feline murmured what may have been an agreement, taking solace in his arms as dusk overcame them. Rex settled onto his side, lying in the grass with a possessive arm around Cheshire's waist to pull her back into his body.

"Selfish boy," a devil may care voice didn't match Cheshire's stern words as she nudged into his neck. "Don't you care if they notice me missing?" Rex held her tighter and settled his face in her hair. She smelled like a grassy field. He could see her rolling around in one on a whim. Like they had just done. "No." He brought his nose to hers again, enjoying their closeness. He had a new found hatred of clothing as he felt her heart in his chest and her breath on his face.

_Not close enough._

"But it will have to be enough, right? That's what you want to say? That we have to be apart because of duty?" Rex's voice was rough with the barest traces of resentment. Cheshire's eyes flickered to his mouth and back again, a sweet smile on her puffed lips. He held his breath, finally allowed to let her beauty astound him. This was his. This amazing girl was finally his. They were both dirty from the ground, grass stains on her jeans and leaves in his hair.

Gently pressing in for a series of soft kisses, Cheshire answered his questions. "Yes." Kiss. A peck. "But." Kiss. A deep press. "Distance makes." Kiss. Tender, slow. It left him breathless when she dragged his bottom lip between her teeth. "The heart grow fonder." She gave him a long, smoldering kiss, like he was her last gulp of air before diving under.

She vanished from his arms. Rex was completely still for several moments. He closed his eyes and rolled onto his back as he held onto her presence, her warmth, the feel of her skin. He smiled for all he was worth.

_You better not be reading this Bobo._


	17. Sequel Much?

The sequel has been created! Go now, my legions!


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